The Disappearance of Steven Universe and Mabel Pines
by Blade of Hellfire
Summary: After discovering important family member missing and their worlds having no memory of Mabel or Steven, Dipper and the Crystal Gems unknowingly have to rescue their loved ones from a common enemy. As they slowly bring their worlds closer together, they discover they may have to face one of greatest mad men in existence: Rick Sanchez.
1. Disappearance of Mabel Pines

**Hey guys! I know it's been awhile, but I've got the crossover bug and I wanted to start writing it. If you have any other questions about my other fics, please PM me. With that, this will be a Gravity Falls x Steven Universe x Rick and Morty, however the focus of the fic will be on Gravity Falls and Steven Universe. The fic will take place just after Steven has that talk with Greg about his desinty after discovering the Nora tape, while all the Weirdmaggeden drama will be over in Gravity Falls.**

 **With this, I hope you enjoy the fic!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, or Rick and Morty**

Dipper sighed, rolling over and wiping sleep out of his eyes. It was the start of another week, and he wasn't personally excited to face another week of boring lectures and homework he was sure the teachers barely glanced at. But they were in middle school now, they had to be responsible and stuff- really Dipper felt like the gears of life were turning a lot slower since they left Gravity Falls.

Groaning, Dipper rolled out of bed and pulled up his blinds. One thing he enjoyed about being back in Californian was the constant sunny weather, Oregon was nice but it rained in the summer- well they do say that Oregonians are born with webbed feet.

Moving a way from the open window, he head towards his bedroom door to start his morning routine. Seeing as how the shower wasn't running, he figured Mabel wasn't up yet. That was something he definitely didn't miss about Gravity Falls- sharing a room with his sister. Dipper was VERY glad to have his man cave back.

"Better get started before Mabel hogs the bathroom." He said to himself and then glanced down, hearing a familiar grunt. "No offense Waddles."

Dipper's eyes widened in surprise as he finally took notice of the pig in his room. Waddles always slept with Mabel, so it was a rare sight for Dipper to find the pig in his room. "Hey boy... where's Mabel? She leave already?" Petting the pig affectionately. "Weird. She either sleeps in so late she forces to be me late, or wakes up at the same time as me and then stay in there so long that I can feel myself age."

After shrugging off his thoughts, Dipper left for the bathroom in case Mabel was still asleep and was very relieved to see that was not the case.

Surprisingly Dipper was able to shower uninterrupted, and even brushed his teeth without being rushed. While living with Mabel was fun, sharing a bathroom with her was a nightmare. Counting himself lucky, Dipper dressed himself and put on his signature hat. Even though it was cool to have the Great Dipper birth mark, it sucked when it looked like someone had played connect-the-dots on his forehead.

Eventually Dipper made his way down the stairs, once again taking notice of Mabel's peculiar absence. He also noticed Waddles was following him everywhere he went, which was also very strange- normally the pig would go back to Mabel's room and wait for her to come home. Finally getting to the kitchen, he was somewhat relieved to see his parents weren't home. Living in an expensive but beautiful place like California meant the parents had to work a lot to afford it, so breakfast and other meals without them were common occurrences in the pines household.

Looking in the fridge, Dipper sighed in relief as he noticed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. He frowned when he noticed there had been no second plate for Mabel- she probably already ate hers though. Shrugging, Dipper began eating his breakfast and tried to recall if he finished all of his assignments. He looked down when he noticed a nudging on his leg. Looking down, he saw Waddles looking up at him with a pleading look.

"You're pretty needy today aren't you?" Handing the pig some of his eggs. "Didn't Mabel feed you before she left?" Turning to the pig's food dish, he noticed it was completely empty and had no evidence to indicate food had been there since the night before. Now THAT was weird. Mabel was normally pretty spacey, but she NEVER forgot to take care of Waddles. "Geez... I'll have to see what's up with her..."

Not having time to go the garage to find the compost Mabel kept for him, Dipper scraped the rest of his eggs into Waddles' dish. He quickly scarfed down the bacon and drank his orange juice- he decided to get a head start to school since he was almost always late. "Later Waddles!"

Dipper ran outside the door, and began his walk to school. Maybe on the way there, he'd stop Mabel and say she owed him breakfast to compensate for Waddles.

/

Amethyst always thought Beach City was always a beautiful site in the morning, full of colors and interesting smells. It was nothing like the Kindergarten she was formed at- the air was stagnant and barely had any discernible colors. As a quartz she was tough and resilient- but it was times like these that had made her sentimental.

As much as she wanted to wake Steven to watch it with her, Pearl had insisted that Steven get at least 7 or 9 hours of sleep to further his development. Whatever the heck that meant. Amethyst honestly thought Pearl just made up that rule to grate on her nerves, but had relented when she saw that Steven genuinely enjoyed sleeping. She'd just brag about it to the boy, to teach him a lesson for sleeping in.

"Amethyst! Get off the roof and come help us!" She groaned when she heard Pearl's annoying voice.

"Whaaattt...?" She groaned, but rolled off the rooftop anyways and landed on the deck.

Pearl rubbed her temple and groaned. "Garnet is trying to make Steven breakfast and we need help setting the table!"

"And what are you doing exactly?" Amethyst rose a brow.

"Making sure everything is in order of course." Pearl smiled. "I've been researching what humans call 'nutrition', and I've asked Garnet to make a balanced breakfast for Steven!"

"Speaking of which... where is the little guy?" Amethyst poked her nose around Pearl's body to pear into the house, noting that their youngest resident wasn't at the table where he normally was. when Garnet prepared food. "Is he sleeping in or something?"

Pearl frowned and shook her head. "No. I checked his room in case he had been, but he doesn't appear to be home."

"Weird." Amethyst put her arms around the back of her head and followed Pearl inside. "Hey Garnet. What ya makin'?"

Turning to the shorter gems, Garnet replied. "As according to Pearl's request- roasted bell peppers, scrambled eggs, and two pancakes. The exact nutritional balance a 'breakfast' meal should provide for a developing human. Steven's going to need it for today's training. Amethyst... would you mind calling Greg to send Steven back?"

"Ya sure." Amethyst went to go use the phone, while Pearl started talking about today's training routine.

"I've planned on having Steven work on summoning different shapes, of course sword fighting, and I was going to invite Connie over for some Stevonnie fusion training-"

"Hey guys." Amethyst interrupted, looking a bit troubled. "Greg's not picking up. What should we do?"

Pearl frowned and turned to Garnet. "It's not like Greg to miss our calls. Maybe we should go get Steven ourselves?"

Throughout the morning, Garnet had barely said anything and it was starting to bother Pearl. It wasn't like she spoke much to begin with, but when Garnet was silent it normally meant trouble. "Garnet...?" Pearl asked again.

Turning off the stove, she said abruptly. "We should go look for Steven. We don't want his breakfast to get cold."

/

Dipper was having an odd day to say the least- throughout school he had looked for his twin but to no avail. He and Mabel didn't share many class with science and math, but they shared most of their other classes and he was surprised when not only when he noticed that she was absent- but that the teacher hadn't even called out for her when taking attendance. Dipper tried to act like everything was normal, trying to tell himself that maybe Mabel was just skipping, but he could not help but feel that something was terribly wrong.

After school finally ended, Dipper rushed back home as fast as he could. Luckily he and Mabel didn't live that far from their high school, and made it home in just about 20min. Quickly opening front the door, Dipper ran upstairs to Mabel's room and threw open the door. He stumbled back at what he saw- nothing! Nothing of Mabel's anyways...

None of Mabel's stuff was in there. Not her bedroom furniture, stuffed animals, obnoxious boy band posters, hideously pink carpet and walls- nothing! Instead, it appeared to be a home office of some kind for his parents... and apparently himself judging by the Big Foot poster on the left side of the computer desk. The room itself was completely different from Mabel's room- it had a big, expensive looking computer, a big desk, and even a mini fridge at the far side of the room.

"Oink! Oink!" Feeling Waddles nudge him, Dipper looked again and noticed that Waddles' bed and toys weren't present either. In fact, it looked like it was the cleanest room in the house. A stark contrast to Mabel, who always had her room look damaged from a hurricane. Shakily standing up, he pet Waddles and slowly walked towards his room.

Dipper was feeling nauseous, as panic set into his body. Slowly picking out his cellphone from his pocket, he dialed his mother... hoping desperately that they had decided to send Mabel to an all-girls boarding school for some cruel purpose. Hopefully, his mom will just tell him that her obsession with boys had caused her to fail that physics test last week.

/

When the Crystal Gems arrived at the car wash- several things had surprised them, the primary one being that Greg didn't own it. In fact, it looked like he hadn't been there at all. It was an automated car washing station that was run by the same company that owned the town's gas stations, making Greg's presence completely unnecessary.

"Garnet... what's going on...?" Pearl asked, barely able to contain her anxiety.

The tallest of the trio didn't say anything, just staring at the car wash. "Sapphire's telling me he's at the concert hall, setting up for a show."

"Say what?!" Amethyst exclaimed. "That guy has some serious explaining to do! I mean, how can he just quit the car wash like that?!"

"He didn't quit Amethyst... it's... I'm not sure how to explain... my head is starting to hurt!" Garnet clutched her head, Sapphire was getting overwhelmed and she wasn't sure how long the fusion could hold.

"Garnet!" Pearl knelt down beside her, and could only watch when her friend reverted into Ruby and Sapphire.

"Guys! There's Greg!" Amethyst pointed to a very different looking Greg. He was pulling up in a red convertible, letting the wind blow through his hair. He stepped out of the car, dusting off her leather jacket. When the Gems took a closer look, they noticed that Greg looked more clean shaven and just more hygienic in general- no swat stained tank top present. The man looked at the Crystal Gems confused and walked over to them.

"Hey Crystal Gems, what are doing at my car wash?" He smiled politely.

Before Pearl could respond, Amethyst got right up to his face and started making demands. "You call this a car wash?! Where's the personal touches you put everywhere?! Like the sign Connie and the Crystal Gem wannabes made?! And where's Steven?! He's supposed to have breakfast with us!"

"Whoa slow down there...!" Greg put his hands up in defense. "I know you guys aren't involved too heavily with the town on a daily basis, but I sold this car wash over ten years ago to the gas company, so I could become a local musician for Beach City. I fell in love with this town after one show, bought the car wash from an old man practically looking to give the business away, and decided to stay. Can't say I know who Connie is though."

The Crystal Gems were speechless, this did not match up what they remembered at all. When they didn't respond, Greg continued. "And I'm sorry that your friend missed breakfast, but I don't know who this 'Steven' person is. Why do you think he's with me?"

"...What do you mean Greg...?" Pearl asked, dreading seeping into her voice. "Steven is your son. You had him with Rose-"

"Woah!" Now Greg stepped back a little. "I don't know what you guys are talking about with any of this- I don't have a son. I don't have any kids for that matter."

The Crystal Gems completely froze at this. Pearl was shaking at this point, and she quietly said: "What are you saying Greg...? Of course you have a son... you had him with our leader, Rose Quartz... she had him with you because she loved you! She chose you! Why are you saying these things?!" Pearl had pulled out her staff, but Amethyst held her back.

Noticing that Sapphire was still in no stake to talk, Ruby decided to speak up. "Greg... it's us- Ruby and Sapphire! When we fuse, we become Garnet! And that's Pearl and Amethyst! We're the Crystal Gems! Don't you remember?! We've been fighting against Home World from destroying the earth."

Greg backed up further, wishing he hadn't decided to bring his car around for a wax job. Once he was inside his car, he started the engine and looked at them. "I'm sorry- I really don't know who Steven is. I don't have a son, and quite frankly... I don't think any woman would want to have kids with me."

"Do you... remember us at least?" Sapphire managed to speak through gritted teeth.

"Well of course I do!" Greg smiled. "You guys are the Crystal Gems! You're the ones who keep Beach City safe and weird! But this is the first time I'm actually talking with you guys, you normally just stay on the beach." Greg checked his watch. "Well I gotta go set up. The concert is in a few hours and I need to do a sound check. You guys are welcome to come if you want!"

"Nah. No time!" Amethyst responded, patting Pearl's back. She was now crying, unable to take this confusion.

The Crystal Gems paid no heed when Greg drove off, no attention to the people gathering around them and taking pictures. The only thing on their mind was Steven- where had he gone?

/

As freaked out as Dipper was, he was still trying to maintain his sense of normalcy. If his time at Gravity Falls had taught him anything, it was not to freak out until he was sure there were no other options. He was trying to do his per-calculus homework to distract himself, but found that it wasn't working.

VVVRRR!

Jumping slightly when his cellphone vibrated, he checked his phone and saw that it was his mother. Bracing himself, he pet Waddles to calm himself. Since the pig obviously wasn't aloud in what used to be Mabel's room, the animal had obviously settled for Dipper's room. Flipping open the phone, Dipper spoke:

"Hi mom!" After his mom responded, Dipper spoke again. "I don't know if anything's wrong. I just wanted to know where Mabel was?"

Waddles lifted his head when he felt Dipper's hand drop from his head, and onto the floor. "What do you mean who's Mabel? She's your daughter and my obnoxious twin sister..." Dipper's voice was trailing off, feeling as though his chest was suffocating itself.

After a minute had passed, Dipper managed to respond again. "Yeah mom... you're right... it was just a joke. Mabel is a friend of mine..." Dipper felt his heart breaking in two, tears dripping onto his textbook.

"Have her over for dinner sometime...? Sure. I was going to help her with her math and science homework anyways..."


	2. The Disappearance of Steven Universe

**Hey guys! There's something odd with the Fanfiction formatting, so if the formatting of the text is off, I apologize. As for the reviews, thank you so much for the support! As for the person who pitched the crossover idea, it sounds like interesting but you should definitely write it yourself. As for the person who asked about the PearlxFord pairing- that's not gonna happen. There's probably going to be almost no romance in this fic, sorry to disappoint anyone.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and Rick and Morty**

There were a million different thoughts running through the Crystal Gems' minds as Greg drove off. What was going on?! Why couldn't Greg remember Steven?! All three of the gems remembered saying goodnight to Steven the night before, Garnet and Pearl had checked his bedroom and loft area- both of which still contained all of his stuff. Amethyst didn't notice anything off in the house either, but then a thought occurred to her.

"Guys! Let's head back to the house and get some of Steven's stuff! Maybe Greg will remember him then..." Amethyst tried to sound optimistic, but wasn't sounding too convinced.

Ruby was stabilizing Sapphire, as her companion still had a severe headache. "Sounds good! I mean... can't hurt right?" She looked at her lover in question, but Sapphire was still gritting her teeth and was unable to respond. Ruby position Sapphire onto her back, so the clairvoyant didn't have to trouble herself with walking.

"Yes... anything would help at this point." Pearl agreed. Even though they agreed on a course of action, Pearl couldn't help but fear the worst for her leader's offspring.

As they were getting ready to make their way back to the beach house, they started taking notice of what Greg had said earlier. People were staring at them, taking pictures and murmuring to themselves as if they had never seen the Crystal Gems before. It seems as though their conversation with Greg had attracted some onlookers, including that annoying human with macaroni hair that was obsessed with blogging and making himself a Crystal Gem. Seeing him actually made Pearl and Amethyst angry, as it brought back memories of how he had the audacity to treat Steven while their surrogate son had invited him to their home. Luckily, he kept his distance and seemed to be just as wary as the other onlookers.

While they clearly weren't human, the city had long been used to their presence ever since before the Gem War. After Rose had met Greg, they had frequently visited the town and the people gradually got used to their presence.

But according to Greg, he had never met Rose and the Crystal Gems had never made an effort to interact with the town's people. It honestly troubled them, the humans of Beach City actually seemed fearful of them as if they were like Jasper and other Home World invaders.

Suddenly Amethyst spotted a familiar face in the crowd- Connie! Forcing her way through the crowd, Amethyst got right in front of the girl, grabbing her shoulders. "Connie! You remember Steven right?! Right?! You'd never forget us!"

The bespectacled girl adjusted her glasses, and nervously responded. "I... I... I'm sorry... I don't know who you're talking about... Ms..." The girl trailed off, as if she didn't actually know the Crystal Gem in front of her.

"Amethyst! It's me Amethyst! We've met tons of times!" The shortest gem exclaimed, shaking her once again. Amethyst then concentrated and morphed into Steven. "You're best friends with our little guy here! He even convinced you to wear contacts instead of glasses!" Suddenly, someone forcefully pulled Amethyst off of Connie and shoved her to ground.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" Amethyst recognized the woman as Connie's mother. "Connie! Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine mom..." Connie said quietly, feeling her discomfort increase as she saw the Amethyst gem and the other Crystal Gems seemingly tear up at her reaction. "I think they're confused about something..."

"Connie..." It was Pearl who pleaded this time. "You truly don't remember Steven...?"

Connie could only shake her head. "No... I'm sorry, I don't. I really have no idea who you guys are talking about. Was he a friend of yours? If you lost him, maybe we could help you-"

The girl's mother caught her off hastily. "That's enough Connie! Your father and I told you how dangerous the Crystal Gems were, and look what happens!" The woman then turned to Pearl and Amethyst. "I'm sorry for whatever loss you've had recently, but do not come into our town to disturb us! This incident is your own to bear just like everything else you've brought to our town!"

"MOM!" Connie was ashamed of what her parent just said. "They didn't hurt me, and they just lost their friend! Imagine how you would feel!"

"Then why are they insisting that you know this 'Steven' person?!" The woman haughtily demanded.

"Because..." Pearl spoke up, tears flowing down her face at this point. "They were training partners... they fused... I taught her how to wield a sword... and most importantly- she loved him, just as much as he loved her."

/

Dipper was trying to hold himself together as much as he could at the dinner table. Even as his parents were making small talk with him, he barely responded and didn't trust himself to speak. If any of his experiences at Gravity Falls taught him anything, it was not to talk about supernatural phenomena without having proof! Besides, he had combed the house and didn't find any evidence of Mabel's existence. There were no pictures of her on the wall, in the album, or anywhere in the home. Mabel was truly gone, and Dipper had no way to prove that she existed. Looking down below the table, he smiled when he saw Waddles look up at him pleadingly- obviously begging for food.

Dipper had to laugh when he and Mabel came home with Waddles. Their parents weren't exactly happy to learn that they had brought home a pig without notifying them. After a lot of yelling, pleading, and begging on Mabel's part, along with a very long phone rant to their uncles, they had relented and let Mabel keep Waddles. Dipper briefly wondered how and why he managed to convince his parents that keeping a pig in the suburbs was a good idea, but clearly it worked as Waddles was his only hold on sanity.

Then it dawned on Dipper... the journals! They had to have an answer to what was going on! The problem was- he and his family had decided to throw them into the bottomless pit after Weirdmaggeden had happened. However it was more than likely that the books had landed somewhere else in Gravity Falls, and even if they didn't- Dipper was more than willing to climb down to find them.

Dipper shivered when he thought of the evil triangle, the thought of Bill being responsible for this had crossed his mind but there was no way! Grunkle Stan had nearly sacrificed himself to insure Bill's demise, and the supernatural activity all but stopped in Gravity Falls afterward so it couldn't have been.

Besides, Bill could only implement his power when someone summoned him and then shook his hand. Not only did Mabel know better than to accept any kind of deal from him, but she didn't even have the first clue on how to draw the summoning circle.

Deciding on his course of action, Dipper knew he was risking being grounded until college- but without his sister in his life, leaving the house didn't seem so glamorous anyways.

"Hey Mom? Dad?" He got their parents' attention. "I'd like to go see my Uncles this weekend, is that okay?"

/

After the sobering experience of the town people, the Gems steadily made their back to their homestead. Diving right into the process, the normally organized Pearl was tearing the house apart looking for any evidence of Steven. Amethyst had opted to just looked around the walls idly, noticing that while Steven's stuff was there- all pictures of him were gone. This was also strange, as the boy's TV, video games, and even some of his clothes were there- but no evidence to prove the boy actually existed.

"Sapphire... please just rest..." Amethyst turned her attention to the duo, frowning at the fact that they still weren't fused. It was easy to understand why though, Sapphire hadn't been able to say anything due to clutching her head in pain. This was honestly the first time Amethyst or any of them had seen Sapphire like this, even when she would get the occasional headache it would go away just as quickly. Their friend having headaches typically meant that she was seeing so many possibilities that it was difficult keeping track of them; but this seemed to be much worse.

"How's she doing?" Amethyst asked.

"Not good!" Ruby hissed, clutching her love's hand. "Can't you see that?!"

"Hey! I'm just asking!" Amethyst shot back. "Sorry for being concerned!"

"If you're concerned, then help Pearl look for Steven!" Ruby shot back, not even looking at her.

Before Amethyst could reply, Pearl shouted "Will you both SHUT UP!" The ballerina like gem's eyes were dried, but it was clear she was still very distraught. "Steven is missing! Not even Greg or Connie remember him! And now we can't even find one picture of him in this house! Steven always kept pictures of everyone, but I can't find any of his scrapbooks! I'm always telling him to put them away! And the one time he listens?!" Pearl was practically tearing her hair out.

The gems were silent as the situation fully sank in... it was just last night they were putting the boy to bed, but now... they couldn't even find Steven's VHS tapes. That was when Amethyst noticed something else definitely absent.

"Guys... where's Lion?" Amethyst asked, look around for the beast. Now that they thought about it- they hadn't seen Lion all day either. The big cat normally stuck pretty close to house when he wasn't with Steven, and was typically pretty easy to find.

"Let's go to Rose's room! Maybe we'll find answers there!" Pearl insisted, dashing towards the room. However, the other gems didn't follow because they knew Steven hadn't been in there long enough to leave any evidence. But the thought did give Amethyst another idea- Rose's armory! If Steven didn't exist, then Rose's sword and shield would still be in there!

/

Throughout the rest of the week, Dipper had tried to adjust to being an only child and it honestly made him appreciate just how much Mabel enriched his life. She was a constant friend and companion, never leaving him alone long enough to feel lonely. Even though Mabel would occasionally tease him about his interest in the paranormal, she had always tagged along in his adventures to offer a helping hand in case he ever needed it.

This week also made Dipper guilty for all the times he wished he was an only child- he knew every kid with a sibling did it, but when it actually comes true... it becomes one of your greatest regrets. While Dipper did enjoy the silence and extra stuff he had due to his parents having more disposable income, he couldn't bear go inside the office space where Mabel's room used to be. Luckily, his school had parent teacher conferences beginning this Thursday and ending Tuesday so he was set to go to Gravity Falls tomorrow. Even luckier, Stan and Ford had taken a break from their world travels to check on the Mystery Shack. According to his parents, Soos was doing a good job running the shop with Wendy's help.

This also made Dipper wonder- if Mabel was gone, how different in the events of Weirdmaggeden had gone. Did it happen at all? Was the battle any harder? What had happened with Bill?!

Even though Mabel was absent from his life, his academic prowess and schedule remained intact and had earned him extra freedom from his parents. With the condition that he would finish his homework this weekend, and so say hi to his uncles, Dipper was given permission to spend the entire long weekend up in Oregon. He was leaving first thing in the morning, bringing Waddles with him on the bus would probably be a little more challenging without Stan and Ford threatening the driver, but he could make it work.

As he packed his bag, he knelt down and pet Waddles. "I don't suppose you remember Mabel do you?"

The pig wiggled his snout out him, before producing the sound that made his sister fall in love with the pig in the first place.

Waddles had actually oinked 'Mabel.'

/

The Crystal Gems were not only sad at this point, but they were also confused. They had decided to go with Amethyst's hunch and go to Rose's Armory, and were both shocked and relieved that Rose's sword and shield were missing. While they were relieved on one level that Rose's weapons were still absent from the vault, it still didn't explain where Steven was.

At this point, the Crystal Gems were at a loss of what to do. No one in Beach City had any memory of Steven, but the fact that Rose's sword and shield were missing were at least a sign that Steven was alive! There was a chance that the sword and shield were stolen, but none of the Gems could process that possibility right now.

"I don't understand... if Rose's sword and shield are gone... where is Steven? Where is Lion? What is going on?! Why can't Sapphire say anything?!" Pearl snapped at the blue clairvoyant, who was once again on Ruby's back.

"Hey back off! She's in pain! Sapphire would help us if she could!" Ruby snapped right back at her.

Amethyst continued to stare at the spaces with the silhouettes of the missing weapons, having similar thoughts. They really weren't sure where to go from here. Even though Pearl had been Rose's faithful company, it had been Garnet that had taken up leadership of the Crystal Gems and had since been the one to direct the group.

Given Ruby and Sapphire's situation though, there was no way that Garnet was making an appearance any time soon. So Amethyst and Pearl were on their own...

"Guys..." Amethyst said quietly. "We need to think... there might be some other records somewhere around this planet right?"

Pearl and Ruby turned towards her in surprise, with the taller gem responding: "That is a nice idea, but how would we find them? There are numerous Home World relics that Steven never even knew about, and there's no way he could get inside some of the bases on his own."

Suddenly, Sapphire came to life and gritted her teeth as she spoke. "P...P..." Sapphire clutched Ruby's shoulder.

"What is it Sapphire?! Take your time!" Ruby encouraged.

"P...eri...dot!" The clairvoyant cringed. "She... can use scanners..."

"That's right! Peridot and Lapis! They can help us!" Amethyst exclaimed.

Pearl seemed hesitant. "Well... it can't hurt." With the way things were going, Pearl was honestly wondering if they were even at the barn at all.


	3. Scene of the Crime

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews so far! To answer the question of one reviewer: yes- Peridot and Lapis will be in the story. As for other citizens in Gravity Falls and Steven Universe remembering Mabel and Steven- you'll find out in this chapter but you'll probably be surprised. If all goes well, I should be able to update on a weekly basis on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. With that, here's the next chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

Sapphire felt like her brain was trying to implode in her skull, and could barely make out any other sounds outside the static ringing in her ears. She had felt off the entire morning, but she had begun feeling easy since the middle of last night. But after the gems failed to get a hold of Greg from that phone call, her vision became blurry and eventually degraded into just splotches of red and purple. The immense pain and delirium had forced her connection with Ruby to be all but severed, as her companion could feel her pain but could not identify the source.

Beyond the physical pain of her migraine and white noise static, Sapphire was panicking over the fact that she couldn't see Steven at all. Even before this onset of pain, Sapphire's visions were becoming blurry but even the little she saw had deeply concerned her. She saw a cold and distant Beach City than the one that had learned to coexist with them, she saw Connie becoming timid and wearing glasses again, she saw Greg become something Rose Quartz would not have loved, but most of all- she didn't see Steven. That frightened her... frightened her to the point where she couldn't speak to her fellow gems about it.

Ruby had seen these visions as well, but had assured her they were just nightmares or far-off possibilities that weren't likely to happen. Because of Steven, none of that should have been possible. But without Steven, their reality turned to into the cold future she foresaw. And when she tried to find a future where Steven did exist, she ended blinding herself with a headache and deafening herself with static! For once Sapphire had no idea what was happening, and worse- she had no idea what was GOING to happen.

The reason why Peridot and Laps came to mind is because she saw them helping them in this bleak future- in the moon base or the ocean! Sapphire wasn't sure cause her vision was so blurry, but she saw Peridot, Lapis, and themselves staring at the monitor with Peridot talking about the Gem Wars; she was talking about how this might have affected Steven's disappearance. Really, Peridot and Lapis seemed to be their last hope in finding Steven and she couldn't begin to even guess where Lion was. Maybe he was out by the Sahara Desert again...

/

After slipping the bus driver $50, another perk of being an only child was higher allowance, Dipper managed to convince the bus driver to let him bring Waddles and his parents weren't complaining about having the pig out of their home for almost a week- they even asked him to offer the pig to his uncles. Even though Dipper was sure Mabel wasn't there, in the case she was or that he managed to find her, he knew that Waddles would be the first one Mabel wanted to see.

The bus ride was just as grueling as he remembered it, and it was even worse without Mabel to entertain him. But luckily he managed to get there in one piece, and managed to get there around dinner time due to the EXTREMLEY early departure. If Dipper could avoid waking up at 4:30am for a bus ride again, he would be sure to do that.

Dipper had several strategies in mind for how he wanted to approach this. He was planning on just asking his uncles if they remembered Mabel, but maybe that wasn't a good idea. His plan on getting the journals was going to be difficult, but he figured he could convince his uncles if he convinced them of some supernatural event. He was willing to climb down himself ig he had to!

Bracing himself he forced a smile when he got off the bus as his two uncles greeted him. He also saw that Wendy and Soos were there to greet him as well. "Hey guys!" Dipper went up to hug his uncles.

"Hey there champ! Needed an early break from school huh?" Stand laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Don't encourage bad habits Stan." Ford ruffled his hair as well as Dipper departed.

"Hey dude!" Soos high-fived him.

"How's Middle School treating you squirt?" Wendy laughed and also ruffled his hair.

"It's fine." Dipper smiled and looked down as Waddles oinked. "Waddles sure missed this place, that's for sure!" The pig oinked in response.

"Hey yah useless pork chop!" Stan rolled his eyes, but pet the pig's head anyways. "Let's get you settled at the Mystery Shack, you're spending the weekend helping me make money!"

"Wouldn't have it any other way Grunkle Stan..." Dipper laughed, relieved at the fact that some things never change. "But there's something I want to talk about back at the cabin first."

"Ugh! Whatever it is, make it quick! Time is money!" Stan huffed.

The walk to the cabin, Dipper made sure to take notice of any difference to the town that may have occurred due to Mabel's absence. To both his surprise and relief, the town seemed to be rebuilding the town form Weirdmaggeden. Just be sure he asked: "So how's town's recovery going from Weirdmaggeden?"

"Eh. Same old, same old really. I mean it sucks that we still have to go school and all." Wendy shrugged.

"On the other hand, the supernatural phenomena seems to coexist well in the town." Ford reassured.

"The Mystery Shack is doing well too! Mr. Ford and Mr. pines brought back a bunch of cool stuff!" Soos pointed out.

"That's good to hear I guess..." Dipper nodded, feeling relieved that the events of his memories matched what actually happened. Though he had to wonder how it played out without Mabel.

"You okay dude?" Wendy asked. Dipper stopped when she asked that, and it was also at that moment that he noticed that Wendy still had his hat. This also made him smile, he couldn't wait until the cabin.

"No, I'm not actually..." Dipper got the group's attention, and began his pleas. "Guys, I wanted to wait till we got back to the Mystery Shack but I can't, so please... tell me you guys remember Mabel..."

Dipper was met with silence, so he continued. "Mabel's my twin sister! She helped us beat Bill! Helped me explore the mysteries of the journals!"

"Hey kid! We got rid of those journals remember?!" Stan snapped. "And you're talking nonsense kid! I mean, who would name their kid Mabel nowadays?! Not that the names parents are currently giving their kids are any better... I mean sheesh... one lousy vampire movie and everyone's naming their kids Bella and Edward."

"Stan please!" Ford ribbed him, and looked down at his great nephew gently. "I'm sorry Dipper... we truly don't know who you're talking about. You explored the mysteries of the journals with Soos primarily..." Ford turned to the younger man.

Soos rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Sorry dude... it was just me and you, sometimes Waddles here too. And Mr. Pines a few times but... I don't remember any Mabel." Seeing the boy's reaction becoming more desperate, Soos quickly added. "But then again, my memory is terrible! Wendy?! What about you?"

Wendy was just as uncomfortable as Soos, and knelt down beside him. "Sorry Dipper... I don't remember you having a sister. It was you and me that did most of the but-kicking during Weirdmaggeden, and I'm pretty sure I would've remembered a female version of you."

"How'd I get Waddles then?! Mabel was the animal lover! I wouldn't have brought him home!" Dipper tried to argue, hating to admit that the events could have still happened without Mabel's presence.

Stan answered. "What do you mean?! You brought the useless thing home after that stupid Northwest family tried to roast him at the fair. You'd think that with all the stuff you've seen at this place, that a simple slaughter wouldn't bug you."

"What about the journals?! Ford, there's got a be something in them that would explain this!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Dipper I'm sorry... but even if there was, it's not worth excavating the bottomless pit." Ford tried to reason. "And don't forget... Bill's gone now. Whatever you think happened, did not happen. If we get back to the shop, I can take a closer look at you and we can try to figure this out." Ford tried to place a hand on Dipper's shoulder, but was shaken off.

"No! Mabel's real! She DOES exist! And I'll prove it!" Dipper ran off into the town, hoping to find anyone who may remember his sister. If he had proven supernatural phenomena to skeptics before, he could find proof of his sister!

/

After deciding that the barn was their best course of action, the Crystal Gems were bracing themselves for whatever they were about to find. Sapphire had managed to get to sleep, feeling exhausted from the constant onslaught of noise and pain. Ruby faithfully kept her lover on her back as they wrapped to the barn. They didn't have time to borrow Greg's van, assuming that he even owned a van at this point, and time was of the essence.

Once they arrived at the barn, they looked around tentatively for any signs of Peridot and Lapis. The gems stood outside the bran almost afraid to go inside, afraid that their worst fears would be confirmed.

"Hey guys..." Amethyst spoke up. "What happens if they're gone? Does that mean that Steven never existed?"

"Of course not!" Pearl exclaimed. "He's Rose's son! Of course he exists! Otherwise, Rose would still be here at this point!"

"So what?! You're saying you want Steven dead?!" Amethyst glared.

"No! But what I am saying that if Steven doesn't exist where we are right now, maybe Rose does!" Pearl shouted. "That way, some good can come of this!"

"Would you two shut up?! You'll wake Sapphire!" Ruby scolded.

"It's not like she's useful for anything right now." Amethyst grumbled.

"What was that?!" Ruby snapped. "If it wasn't for Sapphire, we wouldn't have known to come here!"

"Come for what?! To discover that Lapis and Peridot aren't here because they never met Steven?!" Pearl tore some of her hair out. "How does that help us?!"

"Hey what's with all the shouting down there?!" The Crystal Gems were stunned into silence as they looked up towards the upper level of the barn, where they didn't even notice the makeshift balcony that Peridot made. Lapis Lazuli was looking down at them in annoyance, her hair disheveled and rubbing crust out of her eyes- clearly she had just been woken from a nap.

"And what was that about us not being here?" The Crystal Gems looked behind them and saw Peridot coming back from the cornfield, levitating a sheet of metal and... Pumpkin! Absolute living proof that Steven DID exist! The living vegetable crop barked and ran around them excitedly.

Without warning, Amethyst ran forward and hugged Peridot. Stunned, Peridot stumbled back and forced the purple gem to separate from her. "What is with this overreaction? You're acting as though we have not seen each other for some time. Or that's what I believe Steven told me, when in times of chronic separation..." At the mention of Steven, Amethyst brought her back into the hug.

"You remember Steven..." Pearl had tears leaking down, hands covering her mouth.

At this, Lapis flew down to join them with a confused look. "What do you mean remember Steven? Why wouldn't we? He's the whole reason we managed to make Earth our home."

/

Dipper's frantic search through Gravity Falls had been bitter sweet. On one hand, the town's people recognized him as a hero and happily welcomed him. On the other hand, none of them remembered Mabel! They were polite enough about it, and assumed he had met another tourist named Mabel last summer. Probably his lowest point was running into Mabel's friends, Candy Chiu and Grenda. They both still thought he was cute and they didn't remember his sister, awkward painful.

"I'm sorry Dipper, but we don't remember anybody named Mabel with you." Candy shook her head.

"Yeah. We would've remembered a female version of you." Grenda added.

Dipper rubbed his temple, Mabel did not look that much like him. "How did we meet then?"

"At the Mystery Shack party of course!" Grenda cheered. "You were the only person who sat down with us!"

"You shift at the ticket booth ended, and you wanted a place to hang out." Candy recalled.

"Oh. Cause the way I remember it, Mabel was the one who not only sat with you guys but stood up to Pacifica for you." Dipper recalled the night pretty well. One thing he had to to hand to his sister- no fear of public embarrassment.

"Oh! We definitely would've remembered that!" Grenda insisted.

"We're sorry Dipper... we truly don't know anyone named Mabel." Candy shook her head. "We hope you find what you are looking for." Both girls waved at him and went about their way.

At this point, Dipper was mentally and emotionally exhausted. He went over different options of where to go from there, and decided to stop by Greasy's Diner. He knew Lazy Susan would probably give him a free soda if he asked. As he walked towards the shop, he bumped into somebody.

"Hey watch it!" Dipper groaned as he recognized the voice, and looked up to see Robbie and Tambry. While there was no longer any animosity over Wendy, the two boys still didn't like each other. "Oh it's you..."

"Hey Robbie... and Tambry." He waved at the girl, still glued to her phone as he could tell. "Sorry about that... wasn't looking where I was going." He figured it was pointless to ask two people that barely interacted with them.

"Whatever... Hey, where's the female version of you?" Robbie's question made Dipper cease.

"What...?" Dipper needed to know if he heard right.

"Yeah dude. Where's your sister?" Tambry looked up form her phone and noted the absence of the female twin. "Aren't you guys like always together?"

Dipper couldn't believe this! These were the last two people he expected to remember! "Guys please! Don't mess with me! Do you actually remember Mabel?!"

"Duh! She helped me get over Wendy and get with Tambry over here- way better for us by the way!" Robbie and Tambry brought themselves closer to each other. "Not to mention she said fingerless gloves weren't cool! They totally are!"

"First of all, no there not." Dipper repeated his sister's sentiments and continued. "And second, I can't believe I'm about to ask this. Robbie, we've never gotten along and I will be more than happy if we never become friends and Tambry... I honestly just need you as an extra witness, but please hear me out!"

The teens looked at each other and then back at Dipper. "We're listening." Tambry said.

"Please... I need your help! Something happened and nobody remembers Mabel! Not my parents! Not my uncles! Not Soos! Not Wendy! Not ever her friends!" Dipper cried. "So please... help me!"

/

After being thoroughly updated with the situation, Lapis and Peridot were in just plain disbelief of the situation. Lapis was frustrated that they were not contacted sooner, and that they were not already looking for Steven. "Wait... you're saying that Steven's missing and no one knows where he is?" Lapis reiterated.

"It's not just Steven's absence!" Pearl exclaimed. "No one even remembers Steven existing! Not Connie! Not Greg! No one!"

Peridot rubbed her chin in thought. "I'm sorry but this simply doesn't compute. Correct me if I'm wrong, which I doubt I am, doesn't it take two humans to spawn another smaller human?" Peridot had gotten a brief human reproduction lesson from Greg in the past after realizing humans weren't grown in the ground, but still didn't understand the details.

"Yes... you're right. But Greg doesn't remember Steven! And we haven't seen him since last night!" Pearl exclaimed.

"What I was referring to, is the fact that if Greg does not remember making Steven with Rose Quartz... wouldn't that mean that Rose Quartz is alive? I wouldn't see how, considering that this world has been the same since last night." Peridot elaborated.

"Yeah. If Steven didn't exist, then Rose Quartz would have to. Not only that, Peridot and I wouldn't be here if he wasn't." Lapis agreed. "I wasn't exactly keen on staying here, remember?"

"That's not what we're saying!" Amethyst exclaimed. "We're saying that even though Rose Quartz clearly isn't here anymore, Steven's gone and everyone but us forgot him!"

"And we're currently in the discussion in trying to solve this contradiction!" Peridot responded and then finally asked. "By the way, why is the fusion in separate forms?" She pointed to Sapphire's discomfort, who was sitting on the ground clutching her head. Ruby stroked her back, and was trying to soothe her in any way she could.

"She's been like that since this morning." Pearl explained. "Garnet was mostly silent and she seemed to be having difficulty concentrating, and eventually the fusion broke down. I've never seen Sapphire like this, we don't know what's wrong with her."

Frowning, Peridot walked over to her and knelt down beside her. "Sapphire, are having severe headaches and hearing static?"

Ruby bit her lip and looked closely at her lover. Through gritted teeth, Sapphire managed to nod her head enough for Ruby to catch.

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed. "But how did you know? What's wrong with her?!"

"I've seen this before only a handful of times in Homeworld, most of which occurred shortly before I came to earth for my... mission." Peridot finished sheepishly.

"Wait! You know what's going on with Sapphire?!" Amethyst, Pearl, and Lapis got closer.

"Perhaps. I can't be certain. However, if I'm correct about what Sapphire is experiencing then the situation is much more serious than previously thought." Peridot began. "As everyone here knows, Sapphires are used as clairvoyants for Home World. They are used to erase all uncertainty or doubt in any situation, due to their ability to analyze all possible outcome. Provided that the universe they are in is stable, they shouldn't have any trouble generating or managing their visions."

"But..." Lapis prompted.

"However, if the universe they are in becomes unstable for whatever reason... then their visions begin to shift and can cause... problems." Peridot answered carefully. "I honestly don't know the full nature of this problem, but the only times I see this happen is if a Sapphire's experience in the past contradicts the potential futures they see."

"But that happened when I rescued Sapphire, and nothing like this happened!" Ruby argued.

"That was different." Peridot replied. "What you did was immediate interference of a future event, you didn't contradict the past she experienced."

"What are you saying...?" Pearl's anxiety was growing as Peridot continued her explanation.

"What I'm hypothesizing is... something drastically changed in this universe's timeline." Peridot explained. "I don't know how or why, or if I'm even correct... but that would explain Sapphire's symptoms."

"Then why do we remember Steven and no one else does?!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"I don't know! As I said, my knowledge in this matter is limited and I only know because I overheard higher ranked gems discuss it." Peridot explained. "I recommend reviewing any records you have of the Gem War and anything previously recorded, to see if the documents contradict your memories. Also... you mentioned that Steven's pet Lion was missing?"

"Yeah. Why?" Amethyst asked.

"Nothing. Just another variable to account for." Peridot replied.

After a heavy silence, Lapis spoke up. "So where do we start?"


	4. Collecting Evidence and Allies

**Hey guys! So here's the next chapter! The two groups are probably not going to meet for next few chapters, and I'm ironing out the details now, so hopefully it'll good! I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far, so I'll try to keep up the pace! If you guys have any questions you'd like me to address about this fic, you can ask in the reviews. So, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

If you had told Robbie that he would be helping his mortal enemy through a potential mental breakdown, he would have called you just as insane as the story the boy told. But he could tell Dipper wasn't lying, with the way Tambry was attempting to console him as he cried. After Dipper told him that no one had remembered Mabel, the boy had began hyperventilating and crying, which had ultimately forced Tambry to step in to try and calm him.

Robbie had never been good with kids, let alone crying ones that used to (and probably still does) have a crush on his ex-girlfriend. Not to mention, he was still sore towards Dipper for facilitating the breakup with Wendy but... he looked at Tambry and couldn't argue with the results. With a heavy sigh, Robbie asked. "Dude slow down... what do you mean no one remembers Mabel?"

Taking a breath to compose himself, Dipper spoke. "I started on Monday when I saw that Mabel hadn't fed Waddles... I was worried cause she would never do that normally. That was when I realized that Mabel wasn't anywhere, and that to everyone else- she never existed. My mom actually accused me of wasting her time with a joke and then told me to invite my 'friend' Mabel for dinner some time."

"Dude... that's rough." Tambry replied.

"...What about your old uncles? Wendy? That Soos guy?" Robbie attempted.

"They didn't know what I was talking about, and when I insisted on looking for the journals they-" Dipper couldn't finish.

"What about your sister's friends?" Tambry asked, remembering Wendy talking about them once.

"They don't remember either." Dipper shook his head.

"But dude! Your sister has that symbol, like us right?" Robbie pointed out.

"She does, but we never got the chance to find out what those symbols mean. And that can't be it, cause you two are the only ones who remember Mabel. And that's another thing, I have no idea why we're the only ones who do!" Dipper answered.

"Have you asked everyone in the town yet?" Tambry asked.

Dipper's eyes widened at the question, realizing something he may have missed. "No. I haven't... guys, is everyone from the town still living here... you know after Bill..."

"As far as I know." Tambry opened up her phone and scanned through her social media. "Nope, everyone's here."

"Good." Dipper nodded. "I know I'm asking a lot of you guys, but please... help me find out what's going on?! I don't have anyone else, so-"

"Chill with the begging dude, I'm in." Tambry raised her hand and looked at her boyfriend. "What about you Robbie?"

Looking at his former rival, Robbie could only sigh. "Fine... I've got nothing better to do anyway. So where do we go from here?"

Dipper took a deep breath and uttered words he never thought would be in the same sentence. "We have to go see Gideon. If he's forgotten Mabel, then we have to go straight to the journals. But since he was obsessed with Mabel and knows about the weird happenings in Gravity Falls, then he'll probably knows what's going on."

Robbie and Tambry looked at each other before responding. "You sure that's a good idea? I means this guy was totaling creeping on your sister, and he brought Weirdmaggeden." Tambry brought up Gideon's profile and tried to look through the secret pics he took of Mabel, only to find them gone. "Okay that's weird. All of his social media posts about Mabel are gone: pics, comments, everything. Dude... even your sister's social media is gone."

Dipper quickly got out his phone, and looked through his contacts and nearly cried with relief. There was Mabel's picture and number in his phone, with the same phone number he remembered. He stared down at it, and then pressed the call button. Holding the phone up to his ear, Dipper wasn't sure what he was expecting at this point but he couldn't help buy hope as the phone kept ringing...

/

The Crystal Gems weren't exactly sure what their next move was, but Peridot had suggested that the gems review records of the war and visit all of Rose Quartz bases to see if anything would be of help. At first Pearl had been adamantly against showing Peridot and Lapis these locations, the severity of the situation dictated any personal sentiments she had.

In addition, the subject of Lion was prevalent to each of them as well. Since Lion was definitely connected to Rose Quartz somehow, the cat's absence was just as troubling as Steven's disappearance. After checking through most of the locations they had explored with Steven, with Lapis scaling as much of the underwater base as possible, they found no trace of Steven.

After several hours of searching, the Crystal Gems decided to take a break back at Beach City. To Peridot and Lapis' dismay, they had discovered that the residents of the city were drastically different than what they were just a week ago. As much as both hated to admit this- Steven was gone... and there were limited options at what they could do at this point.

It was quiet in the Crystal Gem base, with Ruby permanently taking up residence by Sapphire's side as the clairvoyant finally managed to rest. It wasn't like the gems needed to sleep, but sleeping was better than the pain she had previously been in. Meanwhile, Pearl and Amythest had almost gone completely silent with Pearl practically in hysterics. She had lost her beloved leader once and had vowed to watch over Rose's son, something she had most definitely failed.

Amethyst sighed and was the first to speak up after a long silence. "Hey Peridot..." The green gem looked up from her thinking position. "You said something about this happening before... what did you mean?"

Peridot looked her for a moment before sighing. "Yes... there have been instances in the past where Sapphires would suddenly..." the gem tried to choose her words carefully. "...Become confused..."

"She's not confused! She's in pain!" Ruby snapped.

"Yes... they would suddenly be in some form of discomfort..." Peridot nodded. "...They would be in that state perpetually, until the Diamonds would call the fleet back to Home World."

"Wait, you mean this hasn't happened on Home World before?" Lapis interrupted.

"No, not on Home World... but I have reviewed reports from passed invasions that had failed." Peridot answered. This caught the other Gems' attention, even Pearl was looking up from her moping. "My orders were to analyze these reports, and produce a list of possibilities as to why the failure occurred as to avoid in future endeavors. While there are a number of factors that could contribute to a Home World invasion, these reports indicated that there was one specific complication that forced the invasion to end before it even began."

"Wish we had that..." Amethyst replied.

"Er yes..." Peridot continued. "Anyways, these reports indicated that the Sapphire present in the fleet was suddenly overtaken with pain and discomfort. There were no enemy forces present at the time, nor were there any outside influences that would have been able to induce such damage. Similar to our Sapphire, the Sapphires in the reports had exhibited common indications of pain but had primarily complained of severe headache and blurred vision. These symptoms only subsided once the invading fleet had retreated far enough away from the foreign galaxy, after which the Sapphires reported seeing distorted visions of possibilities and that they had eventually dissolved into static."

"Wait... so the Sapphires returned to normal once they returned to Home World?" Amethyst clarified.

"Yes. The reports indicate that no residual side effects remained, but would return if the Sapphires were once again present in the unfamiliar galaxy. Interestingly, this would only occur in certain galaxies compared to the large entirety of existence." Peridot further explained.

"So in other worlds, Sapphires were only being affected in certain universes." Pearl concluded.

"Yes. My job was to help identify the primary cause that was distorting the Sapphires' vision, and to take measures not only to avoid it but to invent a countermeasure." Peridot explained. "I was able to extrapolate a fair amount of information based on information the Sapphires themselves, but could not identify the exact cause. I was however, able to suggest a beneficial preventative measure... this preemptive measure actually is what promoted me to the position where I could be assigned to earth."

"What was it that you identified?" Lapis asked.

Peridot hesitated before answering. "When I analyzed the galaxies the Sapphires had been in, I noticed something peculiar... each world, was about at the end of its lifespan. The planets were about to expire, and would not have been any use to Home World anyways." Seeing the others' worried faces, Peridot put her hands up. "Rest assured that I do not believe this is the case. If that had been, then Sapphire would have started feeling symptoms much earlier. Anyways, based on the fractured state of the universes... I hypothesized the Sapphires' vision was distorted due to the galaxies not having a future, but based on what our Sapphire is experiencing I may have been wrong."

"What do you think it is then, Peridot?" Amethyst asked.

"Unfortunately, I do not have a new hypothesis that could explain this situation. I'm recalling the incident reports from my mental catalog, and trying to identify any details I may have missed." Peridot rubbed her chin thoughtfully, and then grew a troubled look. "Now that I recall... there was something in the reports that I had dismissed at the time, but I do not know if it has any bearing to our situation."

"What is it?!" Pearl demanded.

"I'm not sure if this minor, and I mean MINOR detail is applicable to our predicament but... each of the Sapphires recalled the exact point their visions became distorted." Peridot admitted.

"How does that help us? Sapphire couldn't tell us if she wanted to." Amethyst looked to the dark blue gem, who still remained asleep.

"We will have to ask when she wakes up but... in each of the Sapphires' visions, they reported seeing some kind of organic life-form... described as taking minimal space but tall and wearing some kind of white garment... like white cape but with sleeves. There seemed to be some kind of gray spikes protruding out of the creature's head..." Peridot looked very troubled at this point. "This apparel... is very much like the human life form Connie's female parental figure. And now that I look at the report in my mind again... what the Sapphires were describing was a human."

"A human?!" Pearl exclaimed. "That's impossible. Even though they are delicate creatures that could not survive on another planet, Rose Quartz still loved the fact that humans could adapt to anywhere on THEIR planet. Humans existing in another galaxy doesn't make any sense!"

"Wait! Does this mean there's another Earth out there?" Amethyst asked, completely confused at this point. "Do you think Steven's there?"

"Of course there's not! Steven isn't there and we're wasting our time talking about this!" Pearl yelled.

"Hey! Listening to Peridot is as good as any lead at this point!" Amethyst yelled back. "And at least she's helping! All you've been doing is moping around!"

"Of course I'm grieving! I failed Rose once again and Steven's gone!" Pearl cried hysterically.

"We don't know where Steven is, but don't give up on him just cause it's easier to cry!" Amethyst yelled, but immediately took it back. She knew Pearl was hurting just as much as all of them. Pearl had turned her back to Amethyst, and allowed herself to sob. It was all too much, the town missing Steven and not knowing where he was, and Rose... was Rose out there somehow then? Had Steven converted into Rose and created this alternate reality? If so, where was she?

Breaking the silence, Lapis spoke up. "If this was a human, how would they have been able to mess with the Sapphire's vision?"

"At the time, I was not even aware of the existence of humans and the Diamond Matriarch was, and still is, considered unstoppable of course- so I did not consider the possibility that a single organic life-form would pose a threat. Perhaps, I should've given it more consideration due to the power I've witnessed. Now however, I cannot ignore the similarities between the traits humans on this planet share compared to the life-form reported in the visions." Peridot explained.

"...Did this human have a name?" Pearl asked quietly.

Peridot frowned, but answered. "No... they did not see him long enough to extrapolate... they reported him walking through the planet chosen for invasion, holding some kind of weapon... which made portals. Once this man would walk into the portal, the vision became distorted."

"Wait... like a portal gun?" Amethyst rose a brow. "Do those even exist?"

"You can see why I initially discounted this information." Peridot sighed. "I honestly did not know how to make sense of the data submitted, so I merely gave the easiest solution. The situation at hand... will require a more decisive action."

After a moment of silence, Pearl spoke up. "Okay... let's say there is this mysterious 'universe hopping human'. How does this help us? Did he take Steven?! If so, how did our world get like this?! How do we get him back?! Is he our enemy?! You must have something else from that report!"

"I am just as skeptical of this possibility as you are! But that is truly what I remember!" Peridot sighed. "The records of this specific report are on the Home World database, so this information is unfortunately unavailable to us. So the amount of leads we have is limited..."

Sighing, Amethyst spoke up. "If he came here... what would have wanted? We checked all of our outposts, and nothing was different. Even those Centipede gems that Steven tried to help are still all happy in their space ship!"

"The logical choices would be the Moon Base, or even... Pink Diamond's ship." Pearl answered hesitantly. "But we would have noticed some significant change from such interference!"

"Hello?! There is already significant change! No one remembers Steven!" Amethyst pointed out.

"So I guess it's decided... we're going to space." Lapis sighed. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as Peridot and I prepare the ship!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Great! Anyone got any idea what we're looking for?" Amethyst pointed out.

"S-Steven...!" Sapphire's statement caught the other's attention. The blue clairvoyant was determined to get her message out before the pain overwhelmed her.

/

They say you'll do anything for our family, and at this current moment... Dipper couldn't help but agree with the statement. Here he was at Gideon's front door, about to ask his sister's stalker for help. While he was still bitter about Weirdmaggeden, Dipper needed to know if Gideon remembered Mabel or not. He felt slightly better with Robbie and Tambry behind him, but still wished he had his usual back-up.

"Well butter my rump, it's Dipper Pines!" Gideon's accent still hurt Dipper's brain, even after a whole summer of listening to it and having three month's break. Gideon shook Dipper's hand quickly, and looked around him, looking for a certain sweater-loving girl that stole his heart. Instead, he probably found bigger sour pusses than Stan Pines. "Oh hello... gothic teenagers..."

Robbie grunted, while Tambry gave simple. "Hey."

Looking back to the boy his age, Gideon smiled. "Well as much as I enjoy a surprise visit, got to say I was hoping for another pine tree! Speaking of which, where is that beautiful sister of yours?"

Upon hearing this, Dipper hugged the strange boy tightly and nearly cried in relief. "Gideon! Thank goodness your weird obsession with Mabel paid off! You remember her!"

Frowning, Gideon pulled Dipper off himself. "Well of course I remember her! She is my one and only! Why...I'd be insulted if you weren't my future brother-in-law!"

"Yeah, we'll address your creepiness later- for now we need your help!" Dipper exclaimed. "Something weird is spreading beyond Gravity Falls, and whatever it is- it's taken Mabel away!"

"...What?" Gideon's chipper attitude immediately dropped. "What do you mean taken away... where is she?!"

"We don't know! You, Robbie, and Tambry are the only ones besides me who remembers her! I don't know what's causing it, but I need your help to fix it!" Dipper explained.

Looking at the two teenagers, Gideon asked. "Is it true... nobody remembers that glorious angel?"

Showing in her phone, Tambry pointed out the social media pics from earlier. "We're serious dude... there are no creepy pics of her on any of your accounts..."

Taking out his own phone, Gideon immediately unlocked it and looked through his photo album- horror rising once he realized he couldn't find Mabel in any of the shots. There were no pictures of her period! Looking at Dipper, he exclaimed. "I don't know what's going on, Dipper Pines! But I, Gideon Gleeful, will stop at nothing till Mabel is rescued!"

"Uh... thanks Gideon." Dipper was relieved to have another ally. "Gideon... you've dealt with the supernatural elements of Gravity Falls for a lot longer than I have, what do you think is causing this?"

"Hmmm..." Rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I honestly don't have the foggiest... Bill could easily do this, but he's not making a comeback and he couldn't leave this town. You and your pretty sister saw to that. I say we go to old man Tate McGucket... if magic can't explain it, then science can!"

"Dude... what about those journals you obsessed over?" Robbie pointed out.

"Oh we definitely need to retrieve the journals, but we'll just go by the Mystery Shack to pick 'em up." Gideon waved off the concern but then noticed Dipper's face. "Whatever is the matter, Dipper?"

"The journals... we threw them into the bottomless pit... I was going to ask for help later on this but... we'll have to retrieve them from there." Dipper said uneasily.

"Are you crazy?!" Gideon was outraged. "First you say you thew the journals away, and then you say we have to get them from the pit?!"

"I know! I know!" Dipper put his hands up in defense. "But like you said, we got figure this out to save Mabel and turn everything back to normal! Are you going to help or not?"

"Of course I am, Dipper Pines! It's for Mabel!" Gideon proclaimed. "Now let's get to the bottomless pit!"

"No!" Dipper shook his head. "If anyone's going to know how to retrieve the journals, it's going to be Old Man McGucket. He and Uncle Ford did the most research out of anyone in Gravity Falls, so he'd know where the journals would most likely end up."

"That's assuming he'll even see us." Robbie pointed out. "Ever since he bought the Northwest Manor, he hasn't come down to town much."

"Seriously? The money got to his head?" Dipper asked, not really believing it.

"Nah. He keeps getting lost in the manor and keeps having to tunnel his way out. It's too much of a hassle and he's an old man." Tambry explained while showing the others the old man's social media pics. Dipper would have laughed at the imagined dismay of the snobby Northwest family if the situation hadn't been so serious. "Besides... shouldn't we just ask your Uncle Ford?"

"No. Like I said... no one else but us remembers Mabel, so... Ford isn't going to suggest we go down the pit for someone he doesn't believe exists." It hurt Dipper to explain, and after a brief silence asked: "So what's faster- driving or following the underground tunnels to McGucket manor?"


	5. Reaching Out for Helping Hands

**Hey guys! Next chapter here, and you'll finally get a glance to where Steven and Mabel are stashed! At this point, the story's going to become more interesting so I hope you'll like it. Don't forget to leave a review or comment if you have any questions!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own: Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, or Rick and Morty**

This was the longest and deepest sleep Mabel had in a long time, she assumed it was the increasing pressure of middle school and unreasonable academic pressures but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she was sleeping better than she had since she got back from Gravity Falls, and was in no hurry to wake up. She was in her comfy bed! In her snuggle pajamas and Waddles sleeping at the foot of her bed! Life couldn't be better!

VRR! VRRR! VRRR! Mabel groaned and reached under her pillow to turn off her phone's vibration feature. However, she was so tired that she had to forced herself to open her eyes to look at her screen to set the silencer. She knew Dipper would probably rush into her room to force her out of bed, after which she would hog the bathroom and make him late for revenge. After taking a brief glace at the foot of her bed to check on Waddles, she promptly fell onto her back to resume sleep. Not a second later, Mabel snapped back up after realizing that her pet was not at her bedside... and that was not the only thing that was missing.

Mabel was floating in a pink bubble-like sphere, where it was just her and her bed. There was nothing but whiteness around her, and there was nothing but silence. The girl shivered, remembering the troubling sequence she got up to with Dipper in Gravity Falls and called out: "Time Baby?! Is this a joke?! Come on, let me out! And how'd you get here? I thought you couldn't leave Gravity Falls?"

No answer came to her, and Mabel became even more panicked. "Hello?" She called out. "Is anyone there?! Dipper?! Grunkle Stan?! Uncle Ford?! Waddles?! Anyone?!" Mabel had tears streaming down her face at this point, not understanding what was going or why this was happening. She sat on her bed holding her head, rocking back and forth. Remembering her phone, she quickly reached under her pillow and tried to call Dipper- no service. "Darn it! Stupid cellphone coverage! Companies overcharging you and giving you nothing!" She threw her phone on the bed and resumed her position, trying to figure out what to do next.

Suddenly, something pink caught her eye. Looking up, Mabel rubbed her eyes at what she was seeing. After confirming that this was indeed real, Mabel was almost certainly that where she was is linked to Gravity Falls- she just wasn't sure how. She now wished she paid more attention to her brother's ramblings about the journals. But she had a good memory, she could remember an entry about a pink lion right?

/

The ride to Old Man McGucket's place was silent as the group contemplated on their current situation, these were really the last people in Gravity Falls Dipper would ever ask help from. But here they were, riding with him to the former Northwest manor- to which, had been... redecorated under Old Man McGucket. Though Dipper liked it much better, he was worried that the new cabin in the woods theme of the manor would provide too much foliage to find the elusive old man.

After being dropped off by Gideon's father, who was still terrified of his son, Dipper and the others went up to the front door to knock. "Old Man McGucket? It's me! Dipper Pines! Are you home?"

"Step aside, shrimp." Robbie slightly pushed Dipper aside to open the door. "Old man usually keeps it unlocked so the towns people can come visit."

"Yeah." Tambry added, following her boyfriend inside. "Even the Northwests occasionally come back, to steal some of their stuff."

"And he doesn't mind?" Dipper asked, while looking around.

"Nah. Old man's got more stuff than he knows what do with!" Gideon laughed. "You home old man?!" Shouting through the corridors, Dipper was beginning to worry about the previously mentioned tunnels. If the old man wasn't here, Dipper wasn't sure what he was going to do.

"Got him. He's in the observatory tower thing." Tambry spoke up, showing status updates from the old man on her phone. The pictures showed badly taken selfies of McGucket in front of a giant telescope- Dipper had to smile. Even after the Weirdmaggeden incident, the old man hadn't changed too much. "On the top floor or something. I'll let him know we're here." Tambry typed a post, while leading the others upstairs to the master bedroom.

Knocking on the door, Dipper pushed the door open gently. "Old Man McGucket? It's Dipper Pines... Ford's nephew... are you free? I really need to talk to you-"

"Well howdy there Dipper!" The old man was suddenly in front of him, with his arms out. "And friends! Welcome to the McGucket Manor! Make yourselves at home!"

"Thanks." Robbie nodded, while Tambry gave her own salutary nod.

"No time for pleasantries old man! We came here on a mission!" Gideon cut the small talk quickly.

At this, the old man frowned. "Mission? What do you mean?"

"McGucket... last summer, do you remember my sister Mabel Pines?" Dipper asked.

"Mabel?" The old scientist smiled in recognition. "Why sure I do! Who wouldn't remember that happy sister of yours? Speaking of which... where is she? You're normally together, ain't yah?"

Steadying himself, Dipper grasped the old man's arm. "Please... something's gone horribly wrong! No one can remember my sister but us, and I have no idea why! Bill's dead so it can't be him! And I don't remember anything in the journals describing like this-"

"Wait slow down!" McGucket put his hands up. "What do yah mean, no one remembers Mabel? It's impossible to forget your sister."

"Exactly what I said Mr. McGucket." Dipper said again. "No one remembers Mabel but us, and we can prove it... McGucket look at the pictures in your house that were taken after Weirdmaggeden. Do you see Mabel in any of them?"

The old man frowned, but took a look at one of the pictures at his work desk. The master bedroom now served a dual purpose of being an observatory, with the large work desk containing notebooks, blueprints, and several pictures. He walked over to the picture where he knew Mabel would be in the photo... this picture was taken after Weirdmaggeden, when the town banned together to rebuild. In the picture, Mabel and Dipper were supposed to be holding the first piece of plywood and a hammer.

But when McGucket looked at the picture, he didn't see the twins holding the building materials- just Dipper. Panicking, he hurried to other pictures around the room that had been taken at random times with him, Stand, Ford, and the kids. In none of the pictures did he see Mabel... making McGucket quickly realize the seriousness of the situation.

Turning back to Dipper, he asked. "When did you notice your sister was gone?"

"Since last week." Dipper answered. "I woke up on a Monday and noticed that Waddles wasn't fed and the bathroom wasn't being hogged- weird for my house. I shrugged it off and figured Mabel had to get to school early for something, but when I didn't see her that day, I went home to check on her in her room. Only she didn't have a room... Mabel's room is an office, my parents think I'm an only child, and even accused me of making up jokes when I said that I had a sister named Mabel!" Dipper was practically pulling his hair out by the end. "Not even Ford and Stan believe me, so whatever is going on, it's huge!"

"Ford and Stan don't remember?!" McGucket was especially troubled by that tidbit.

"No! Neither does Soos or Wendy! These people with me, are the only ones besides us that remembers Mabel! And I have no idea why!" Dipper stated.

"Excuse me!" Gideon scoffed at that. "I'll have you know that I could never forget the love of my life!" He boasted and then murmured. "Not sure about these two though..."

"Watch it Gleeful!" Robbie made a fist.

"But he's right." Tambry pointed out. "Like, I don't have anything against Mabel or anything but... why do me and Robbie remember her? We don't really know her."

"Hmmm..." McGucket scratched his beard in thought. "I'm not sure either, but I'll go over some of the notes I took back in the day with Ford."

"Wait! You have your own journals?! That's awesome!" Dipper felt a huge weight lift.

But McGucket frowned. "I'm sorry son but... I longed lost those notes back when I kept trying to forget. They're round here somewhere, but it may take awhile to find. Even so, Ford's journals are better anyways."

"That's actually why we came here." Robbie spoke up. "The shrimp said you might know where those weird journals are."

"Pardon me?" McGucket rose a brow at Dipper.

Before Dipper could answer, Gideon spoke up. "Mr. Pines here in his 'infinite' wisdom, had decided to toss the journals into the Gravity Falls bottomless pit!"

"So they could be anywhere..." Tambry finished.

"We thought you might have an idea where they might have ended up." Dipper finished. "You and Ford studied the supernatural phenomena in Gravity Falls for months... you must have an idea where those journals might have ended up."

"Hmmm..." McGucket tried to recall the tenancies of the pit, but couldn't offer up a good solution. "Son... I don't want to disappoint yah or nothin', but... I honestly don't know where those journals might've ended up." Dipper and the others looked down. "But I'll come with yah to vouch for Mabel! We need to get Ford on board with this! He wrote the journals! He can remember what's in them!"

/

Mabel stared at the pink lion in awe- it was seriously something out of her fantasies! Its main was like cotton candy, and it was the color of some beautiful jewelry she saw at one of Gravity Falls' Saturday markets. Maybe the lion was the spirit of that rose quartz necklace, Dipper had refused to buy her. Seriously, what's a month's allowance compared to that priceless gem?

"Hey! Mr. Lion! Over here!" Mabel tried shouting from within her bubble, but was disappointed when the lion didn't even turn to look at her. The girl frowned and pounded her fists against the force-field, which did nothing but squish against her hands. Mabel sighed and took a closer look at the lion, and gasped- the creature was panting hard and seemed to be scuffed on several parts of its body. There was also something on the lion's back, but Mabel couldn't quite make out the shape. Making her hands into circles, she placed them over her eyes to focus her vision.

"Holy smokes! There's a boy on that lion's back!" Looking closer, she smiled. "He has a star on his shirt, like my sweater!"

While the commonality seemed minor, Mabel was honestly just glad to have someone else in this strange atmosphere with her. Going under her covers, she searched for any stray clothes she may have left on her bed the day before. Like most teenagers, the twins hated cleaning and was often too lazy to throw their clothes in the hamper. While Dipper preferred littering his floor, Mabel tended to throw them on her bed to make forts for when she had trouble going to sleep.

After a few moments, Mabel was happy to find that her classic purple shooting star sweater was under her comforter along with a pair of jeans that most likely needed washed. After dressing under the covers, Mabel pulled the comforter off of her to see if she could find the lion. To her disappoint the creature was gone, which made her wonder- did the lion know a way out? Maybe he was connected to that boy and trying to find a way out?! With no other options, Mabel tried pounding the force-field again- the squishy material reacted the same as last time- but Mabel noticed she could actually force her body through with enough force.

Standing up, Mabel walked to the head of her bed and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, she dashed forward and slammed her entire body weight against the gel-like force-field. After hitting the substance, Mabel could tell she was partially through but was stuck in the force-field's inner layer. She felt panic starting to set in, as she realized she couldn't breathed. She began flailing, desperately trying to get out as she felt her lungs start to tighten.

Just when she was seeing blotches of color, she felt something latch around her waist and forcefully pull her out. Mabel gasped for air as she was plopped down, feeling her chest heave in and out. "Thanks! You saved-" She looked up and saw none other than the pink lion himself. "...Me. Hi... I'm Mabel..." She reached out her hand to touch the big cat, only for it to huff and walk away. "Hey wait up!" At this distance, she had a clear view of the boy- who seemed to be unconscious. "Wait up! Maybe I can help your owner! He's sick...or something?" Mabel asked.

The lion continued to ignore her, and increased his pace. Just when Mabel was about to call out again, the lion opened his mouth and roared. A portal opened, and lion jumped in not a moment later.

"Oh come on!" Mabel shouted.

/

The ride back to the Mystery Shack was full of dread for Dipper, as he and his group had completely comprehended the seriousness of the situation. While he appreciated the support that came with the camaraderie, none of them could even come close to understanding the terror Dipper was feeling. He was seriously beginning to wonder if he would ever see Mabel again- McGucket's statements about the journals had further diminished his hope. The journals were their last chance, and if Ford couldn't remember or recall anything like this in the journals-"

"Hey squirt. We're here." Robbie snapped him out his depressing thoughts.

Dipper nodded and got out of the car with the others. "Thanks Mr. Gleeful." He nodded to Gideon's dad.

"No problem! Always happy to help! Right son!" He looked at his son.

"Sure old man..." Gideon made a shooing motion with his hand. "I'll call you when we need another ride."

As the car drove up, Dipper braced himself fro going back inside. Even though he had McGucket and the others to vouch for Mabel's existence, he wasn't sure if that was enough.

"Dipper!" Grunkle Stan door slammed open. "Where the heck of you been! And why are all these yahoos with you?!"

"Cause these 'yahoos', as you call us, are all here to vouch for the wonderful existence of Mabel Pines!" Gideon preached.

"Ugh!" Stan rubbed his eyes. "Not this bid again! Kid, I think it's impressive you got Gideon here to believe a girl would be interested in him- but that's taking the joke to unbelievable realms."

"It's not just him." Robbie and Tambry went to stand beside Dipper. "We remember her too."

Wendy came out after hearing her friend's voice, with Soos following. "Tambry? You believe him?"

"I do." Tambry nodded. "I don't know why, but me and Robbie remember her. There were so many pics of her and her pig on her social media, but now there are like- none."

"That's cause she doesn't exist Tambry." Wendy scoffed.

"I remember her, cause she set up me and Tambry... I think..." Robbie said. "I was so bummed out after you dumped me, but that Mabel girl encouraged me to get back out there."

"Hey man- I'm glad for you and Tambry." Wendy put her hands up defensively. "But I don't remember..." Wendy paused. "That's funny... I actually don't remember how you guys got together."

"Seriously Wendy?" Tambry scoffed.

"I'm serious!" Wendy stated. "I'm drawing a blank here- like Robbie and I broke up- and suddenly you were together- like no awkward break-up or ex-drama stuff or anything. You guys together, have just like always been, yah know."

Dipper's eyes widened and turned to McGucket, who bore the same look of astonishment. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Dudes... what's going on? Like seriously?" Soos asked, his feeling of confusion seemed to increase the ire of Stan.

"Nothing is going on!" The old man exclaimed and shouted into the shack. "Hey Ford! Get out here and explain what a false memory is or something!"

Finally, Uncle Ford emerged in a lab coat and goggles. He immediately looked at McGucket and asked his former colleague. "Do you remember a Mabel Pines?"

"I do, old friend. She was one of the main reasons why Bill was defeated." McGucket nodded. "Do you?"

Ford looked regretfully at McGucket and then at Dipper, who seemed to be at the edge of feet at this point. "No but... I did do some digging. What Dipper said worried me, so I analyzed Gravity Falls for any strange anomaly and what I found disturbed me."

"Ford wait... you're saying the kid isn't crazy?" Stan pointed his down towards his nephew.

"No... I can't say I remember having a niece named Mabel, but I do believe she previously existed." Ford stated.

"Wait... what do you mean 'previously'?" Dipper asked.

"According to my data, there was a massive shift stemming from Gravity Falls but instead of being contained in this town... it expanded around the entire universe." Ford explained.

"Enough with the science old man! Tell me where my Mabel went!" Gideon demanded.

"Shut up Gleeful!" Wendy made a fist, which shut the preacher kid up.

"As I was saying... I don't know what caused the massive shift or even how to characterize it, all I can tell you is the plasma readings of Gravity Falls are incredibly different than even a month ago. Whatever caused the shift, is most likely related to Mabel's disappearance." Ford sighed.

"Uncle Ford." Dipper spoke. "Is there anything in the journals that would explain this? And why was only Mabel affected?"

"I have no idea why it would only be Mabel, it may be due to the nature of your symbols but I'm not sure. And unfortunately, nothing in the journals explain this specifically, but I do need them to confront an old colleague of mine." Ford sighed.

"What? The crazy old man wasn't enough for yah?" Stan pointed his thumb to McGucket, but frowned when the old man bore a very troubled look.

"Ford... yah can't be serious." McGucket frowned.

"There's no choice in it Fiddleford, he's the only who can explain what's happening. Heck he's probably the only one capable of this." Ford rubbed his temple.

"Who's capable of this Uncle Ford?" Dipper clenched his fist.

"Rick Sanchez... he's the one who helped me develop the portal to Bill's realm."

/

The Crystal Gems were in shock at the previous outburst from Sapphire, whatever she saw... no she saw Steven! She saw Steven, but now what?! What did it mean?! Was he okay?! Was he alive?! The Crystal Gems were all anxious to know as they crowded alongside Sapphire's bedside, with Ruby's lap serving as her pillow.

Pearl dashed over to Sapphire's side, nearly pleading with the clairvoyant. "Sapphire! I know you're in pain, but concentrate! Please!"

"Hey watch it!" Ruby tried to shove Pearl back a little, but to no avail.

"Sapphire! Please try!" Pearl pleaded again.

"...-S-Steven...sad..." Sapphire gritted, holding her head.

Meanwhile, the other gems stood and watched the exchange; trying to think of way to help Sapphire's vision along. "Is Steven okay?" Lapis asked.

"What do you mean by sad?" Amethyst asked.

"What is the state of health of his physical form?" Peridot asked.

"Would you guys be quiet?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Sapphire's already overwhelmed!"

"NO!" Sapphire's shout interrupted them. "DON'T STEVEN!" The gems were silenced, and waited to see if any more would come from Sapphire's vision. They weren't disappointed. "Steven... is about to... make a terrible mistake. Please stop him!" The clairvoyant went limp in Ruby's arms, her condition seemed to be have plateaued but this wasn't necessarily good news. Ruby could tell how unstable the two of them were becoming, and it was only a matter of time before Sapphire's condition would worsen.

Ruby bit her lip, if she and Sapphire were try to fuse now... what would happen? Would her partner be in any worse pain than she already is? Or would her condition be improved? Could she help Sapphire manage her pain?

"Hey Sapphire..." Ruby squeezed her hand. "Do you want to try?"

Gritting her teeth, Sapphire squeezed back and tried to relax. Soon the two companions were emitting a soft glow, leaving the others in the room to believe they were going to fuse. While the typical warm glow emerged, the other gems were surprised to see the two were still separated after the light faded.

Amethyst groaned. "Like this can't get any worse! Now you guys can't even fuse!"

"Most troubling..." Peridot nodded.

"Wait!" Ruby exclaimed. "We can't fuse, but Sapphire and I can still sync up a little. She managed to tell me some stuff!"

"Well out with it!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Ruby shooed. "Sapphire isn't sure what she's been seeing, but she says that Steven's somewhere else and that he isn't alone!"

"What does that mean?" Lapis piped up.

"We don't exactly know but... she says Lion's with him and another human... that looks like a shooting start for some reason." Ruby iterated as best she could.

"A shooting star?" Lapis repeated.

"Sorry, but that's all we got." Ruby shrugged. "Oh! And we don't know why Steven's sad but... it's probably because he's lost!"

"So we know Steven's been abducted, then?" Pearl confirmed.

"So it would seem, the only questions remaining are: who the perpetrator is and how they managed to do this?" Peridot rubbed her chin.

"Maybe it has to do with how no one remembers him?" Lapis suggested.

"Ugh! We already know those things are connected!" Amethyst tore her hair out. "Let's go back to what Peridot was saying about the universe splitting or something!"

"If these events are indeed related... it most likely has to do with that human male I mentioned earlier... the man with the portal gun." Peridot sighed. "If he did indeed come here, we have no idea what his prerogative was in abducting Steven. I doubt he has anything to do with the Diamonds, given the fact that he's most likely foiled severe colonization efforts."

"So what you're saying is that we're stuck here, while this man is doing who-knows-what to Steven?!" Pearl exclaimed.

"I will examine the current Gem technology we have and consult with you about making a potential replica 'portal gun' as Amethyst so aptly put it." Peridot rubbed her head. "However, given the limits of the old Gem tech and the current level of technology on Earth, I don't think this project will be completed any time soon."

"So all we can do is wait?!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"Hey, if you have a better idea- let's hear it." Lapis crossed her arms.

"Not sit around and do nothing!" Amethyst yelled and ran to Steven's room.

Ruby sighed, patting Sapphire's head. "I don't blame her for being antsy... but we should probably stick together..." She honestly didn't know if even that would help.

Peridot sighed, rubbing her temple. "Lapis... come with me, I may need your assistance in collecting gem tech."

More than eager to get away from the tense environment, Lapis followed Peridot to the landing pad towards the back of the house. "Where we going?"

Clearing her throat, Peridot looked at Pearl. "I'll need your permission to access the areas with your most advanced gem technology. From what Steven has told me, that would most likely be the Prime Kindergarten Control Room and maybe the weapon's vault."

Waving her hand, Pearl sighed. "Yes... we need to do everything we can."

Nodding, the two gems went to the landing pad and typed in the coordinates. "I will contact you shortly." Peridot nodded before she and Lapis vanished.

With that, the Crystals Gems were left alone with only the still portrait of their deceased leader looking down on them. Standing up, Pearl looked up at the portrait and allowed a few tears to be shed. "You started the rebellion almost completely for my sake, and this is how I repay you..."

"This isn't your fault Pearl..." Ruby sighed.

"You wouldn't be saying that if the roles were reversed." Pearl stated.

BANG! BANG!

The Crystal Gems tensed up badly, looking at the front door. Looking out the screen, Pearl was surprised to see none other than Greg. Opening up the door, Pearl looked at the man cautiously."What are you doing here?"

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Greg sighed. "Uh... this is gonna sound kinda weird, but it's not like our last encounter was any better." Reaching into the bag he was carrying, Greg dug around for a moment before revealing the item to Pearl. "I found this in my van..."

"Hey guys, who's at the door-" Amethyst cut herself off, when she saw what was in Greg's hand.

"You guys mentioned a 'Steven' before, and I don't know if it's the same Steven but... I figured with you guys... there's no way it's a coincidence." Greg sighed.

In all the years she had known Greg, Pearl had never felt so overjoyed to see him. If she wasn't near breaking down again, she would've embraced the man. In Greg's hand was a single piece of technology that was old even by Earth's standards, but it might as well have been the most precious material in existence.

Ruby was smiling widely at the relic of the past... a single VHS tape titled 'For Steven.'


	6. Remember the Name

**Hey guys! Thanks for the awesome reviews, and I'm excited to say Rick's finally making an appearance (sort of)! For fair warning, there will be a TON of swearing in Rick's part cause it's Rick. If anyone has any concerns, I'll increase the rating. As for the questions in the reviews, you guys are definitely on the right track with alternate timelines but it's not exactly right either. I apologize for any discrepancies in this fic that differ from the show (like Rose's shield), there's just a lot of details from these shows to remember.**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews guys, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Rick and Morty, and Gravity Falls**

Pearl had began to cry without realizing it, looking at the VHS tape had made her feel the only sense of joy in the past 24 hrs or however long its been since Steven went missing.

Amethyst swallowed. "Where did you find it?"

"In the back of my van, where I keep my old vinyls. I like keeping things retro, but this... even I don't have a VHS player anymore. I figured it had something to do with you guys, considering... you were looking for this Steven guy and all." Greg rubbed the back of his head.

Pearl quickly turned her head to Amethyst. "Is the player still in his room?!"

"Yeah! I just went through Steven's stuff!" Amethyst nodded.

"Then let's go!" Ruby hoisted Sapphire onto her back and ran to Steven's room.

Greg was getting increasingly uncomfortable, wanting to get out of there. "Uh... look... I only came to drop this off, I really can't-"

Pearl grabbed Greg's hand and dragged him into the room where his forgotten son lived. Amethyst put the VHS tape in and began the process of rewinding the tape. As she was doing this, Pearl abruptly turned to Greg with a sharp look. "I want you to know that I never liked you with Rose Quartz, but I did respect how you were with Steven. You made him happy and you were exactly the kind of influence Rose Quartz wanted for her son. On this tape, you will see our leader and savior of Earth, Rose Quartz. She is the one you owe your life to, and... she chose you... it took me a long time to accept it but... she chose you... so keep this in mind as the tape's playing."

Greg could only nod and sat on the edge of the bed. "Uh... okay... thanks."

After a tense moment, Amethyst cleared her throat. "We ready...?"

Taking a breath, Pearl straightened herself and nodded. This was the first time any of them would be hearing their beloved leader's voice again, it was best they were presentable.

/

Dipper took a moment to collect himself. "Wait, who are you talking about Uncle Ford? Who's Rick Sanchez?"

"Exactly who I said... he was my research partner, along with McGucket-"

"He ain't no research partner of mine... that man ain't caused nothin' but trouble since yah met him." McGucket interrupted crossly. "If this here mess is his doin', then that's on you Ford- not me."

Ford rubbed his temple. "Fine! He primarily worked with me on extra dimensional research, what he has accomplished- most scientists can only dream of. I would have been a fool to pass up an opportunity to work with someone like Sanchez!"

"At the cost of dang near everything!" McGucket quipped.

"Enough Fiddleford! I already told you that Bill was a problem way before Sanchez, and he was the only one who-"

"Sanchez only made things worse!" McGucket argued.

"ENOGH!" Dipper shouted. "Uncle Ford, Mabel's missing and we don't know what's happening with her or how to do get her back!"

McGucket sent a glare to Ford, before turning away to let his old colleague continue. "Yes, anyways... While I was researching dimensional travel, I eventually encountered an eccentric named Rick- one of the mot brilliant, if not the most, scientific minds that I ever learned from!"

"You mean, you didn't work with him?" Wendy asked.

"I tried, but this man... his knowledge was almost omnipotent... it was honestly just difficult keeping up with him. I met him by chance when I had a... misunderstanding with some multidimensional authorities..." Ford rubbed the back of his head sheepishly...

(FLASHBACK)

 _Ford was breathing heavily as he hid from the humanoid insects that were chasing him. He wasn't sure where he was, but he seemed to be in a squishy pink environment with tree resembling what he could only describe as... testicles. He had merely began exploring this dimension when these giant, talking insects with highly advanced guns were on and firing. These insects were aiming to kill, not imprison and he wasn't sure how to get his portal to open._

 _Other than sitting behind this rock, Ford wasn't sure what he could do. After setting up the portal, he ended up traveling here randomly but his recall device had either shorted out or he was out of range. To make matters worse, he was getting dehydrated and could feel himself getting hungry. Ford suddenly stilled when he heard someone walking towards his area, and-_

 _"IT'S SANCHEZ! REPEAT! SANCHEZ HAS BEEN SPOTTED!" Stanford heard one of the insects yell before hearing a weapon being fired._

 _"Yeah! Say my name, bitches!" Ford heard a mad cackling as he heard more shots being fired, and held still for several more minutes as the sounds died down. Peaking out from behind the rock, Ford was stunned to see all the insects dead. And came face to face with a thin man, most likely in his late 50s or early 60s, had gray spiked hair and wore a white lab coat._

 _Before Ford could express his gratitude, the other man glared and rose his weapon. "What the fuck are you looking at?!"_

 _Quickly raising his hands, Ford responded. "H-Hello! My name is Ford Pines! I'm a researcher from another dimension! And I was being pursued by those insects-"_

 _"Oh. So you're a useless nobody." The man suddenly looked bored and lowered his weapon to his holster. Ford watched the man make his way towards one of the weird trees, and watched him cut down...a berry, Ford could only guess... and cut it open to reveal a nut._

 _"What the fuck are you looking at?!" The man's constant swearing through Stanford off quite a bit, not even his brother was that off-color._

 _Raising his hands again, Ford spoke. "Sorry... sorry... I was just wondering what those are."_

 _"Wow, you really are a novice. An idiot who gets himself stranded in Dimension 35-C, who doesn't even know what the value of Mega Tree seeds are." The man went back to what he was doing, and continued his harvest. "You really are a dumbass."_

 _"Wait... this universe has a name?" Ford was embarrassed to admit that he could barely keep up with this man. Back in his home universe, he was the most intelligent... so this was pretty humbling._

 _"Of course it does, moron. And this is a dimension, not a universe you dumbfuck! First rule of interdimmensional and multidimensional travel- learn the terminology, dickwad." The other man snapped._

 _"My apologies then..." Ford sighed but then remembered something. "How did you know I was trapped here?"_

 _The other man rolled his eyes. "Because you came here without looking for the Mega Trees, doi! There is literally no other reason to come here!"_

 _Nodding, Stanford asked: "Who were those men? What were they?"_

 _Sighing, the man approached Stanford and shoved a bag into his arms. "Look, if you're going to continue to be a pain in my ass- make yourself useful."_

 _"S-Sure!" Ford nodded and watched as the man continued to harvest two more seeds. "So those insect creatures..."_

 _"They're members of this douchebag club called the Intergalactic Federation that wishes to control every ass-crack in existence, and literally represents everything I hate about this thing called 'order'." The man used air quotes to emphasize his point. "They went after you, cause they thought you were with me."_

 _"Why would they think that?! I don't even know you!" Stanford exclaimed._

 _"Cause dumbass- you're the only other human they've seen besides me. That and any other Ricks or Mortys that pass through." The man rolled his eyes._

 _"Sorry- who-"_

 _"Rick Sanchez! That's my name, bitch!" Rick made some rock and roll hand signs._

 _"There's no need for such language, we're both scientists after all-"_

 _"Ugh! You sound more annoying than the dumbass my daughter married." Sanchez sighed. "You and I would've made a fun crossover, but you and I have waaay (burp!) different audiences buddy."_

 _"What are you talking about? And are you drunk?" Ford couldn't believe the man was inebriated right in front of him._

 _"Why the shit do you care?" Rick asked, examining the four seeds carefully._

 _"Cause I need your help to get home!" Ford exclaimed._

 _"When the hell did I say I was helping you, motherfucker?" Rick snorted, and began walking away._

 _Ford got in front of him and pleaded. "Please! I think I'm out of range of my dimensional gate! I have no way to get back!"_

 _"No my problem, bitch." Rick walked by him._

 _"Where is your humanity?!" Ford yelled._

 _"I don't know. Either puked or sharted it out, a looong time ago." Rick snorted._

 _"You're disgusting!" Ford shouted._

 _"And you're a useless piece of shit, who can't get his own ass home." Reaching into his lab coat pocket, Ford saw the man pull out some kind of hand-held device that imitated a price scanner at a department store._

 _"What is that?" Ford asked._

 _"My portal gun." Rick rolled his eyes. "Yah know? Like the one you have."_

 _"I don't have a portal gun." Ford said. "I barely managed to get my own portal gate working."_

 _"Ugh! You're still stationary? God... it's like looking into the dark ages of dial-up." Rick muttered, setting up his signature device._

 _"How long did it take you to develop it?" Ford could only mutter._

 _"I don't know. Probably about as long as it'll take you to get to get off this dumbass planet." Rick shrugged. "You really want out of this place?"_

 _"Yes! More than anything right now!" Ford stated._

 _"Fine. Agree to be my research assistant for my current pet project, and we got a deal." Rick shrugged._

 _"Sure!" Ford couldn't believe his luck! What started off as a near death experience, ended with him apprenticing under perhaps the most brilliant mind in existence!_

(END FLASHBACK)

Ford sighed as he rubbed his temple, while telling the story. While he omitted all the excessive cussing of the more experienced scientist, Ford could tell his point got across by he expressions the others had.

"So... this guy is the one who taught you about all the Weirdmaggeden stuff?" Soos asked after a moment.

"To a degree yes... Rick Sanchez had taught me more in a week, than a single year of research in Gravity Falls. I learned a lot from him, from perfecting multidimensional travel to safely observing other forms of life. However... Rick was a very troubled man with a lot of demons." Stanford explained. "To Rick, research and discovery had no limits even it meant compromising or even ending the lives of others. I eventually couldn't take it anymore, and left for home as soon as I learned how to set his portal gun for Gravity Falls."

"Did he ever try to find you again?" Dipper asked.

"Luckily no." Stanford shook his head. "Trust me, as bad as Weirdmaggeden was- Rick somehow would've made it worse."

Wendy whistled. "Harsh man."

"But well deserved." McGucket spoke up. "Yah want to tell 'em about the OTHER reason, why you cut ties with Sanchez?"

"Yes... I do believe the mentioning on Bill was brought up." Gideon agreed.

"Is this Rick guy related to Bill somehow, Uncle Ford?" Dipper suddenly felt very anxious- if Bill was back, then Mabel really was in danger.

"... I discovered their connection when I was studying under him." Stanford looked at the floor.

"Well spit it out, Ford! We ain't got all day!" Stan demanded.

"Rick... one of his greatest ambitions was to see if he could create the literal idea of 'God', or a deity for all that it stood for. And more than that... he wanted to see what would happen if 'God' met man..." Stanford explained.

"No..." Gideon gasped, as the others took in the full severity of what the man was saying.

"Uncle Ford... you can't mean..." Dipper clutched his chest.

"Yes... Rick is the one who created Bill, and more than that... he planned for Weirdmaggeden."

/

Given all the chaos going on inside, Robbie and Tambry wisely excused themselves to go outside to the porch. It wasn't that they weren't concerned, but they honestly felt like they had no place in that conversation. Besides, Wendy or Dipper would fill them in later.

Leaning against the wood of the shack, both teens were on their phones- trying to find pictures of Mabel to pass the time.

"Anything yet?" Robbie asked.

"Nothing." Tambry sighed after going through all of her photos for the fifth time in ten minutes. Taking her eyes away from her phone, Tambry rubbed her eyes. "My eyeballs are aching.." As she rubbed them, Tambry thought she saw something in the distance. After blinking a few moments, Tambry's eyes narrowed and rubbed them again.

Noticing his girlfriend's behavior, Robbie spoke up. "What's up?"

"Look." Tambry pointed ahead. "Isn't that the girl with the llama sweater?"

/

Stanford couldn't even bear to look at anyone in the Mystery Shack. "When Rick called for me to be his research assistant, he didn't mean clean test tubes or take notes... I had inadvertently agreed to letting Gravity Falls be the testing site, when I pleaded with him to save me."

"Dude... there's no way you could've known." Wendy tried to reassure him.

"You doing okay, little dude?" Soos noted Dipper became noticeably quiet.

"...Is that why the barrier was there? Is that why Bill couldn't go beyond Gravity Falls in his Weirdmaggeden invasion?" Dipper asked in a calm voice. "Rick setup the parameters, so that Bill couldn't go beyond Gravity Falls. Isn't that right Uncle Ford?"

Stanford still couldn't bear to look at his great nephew, the one he previously asked to apprentice him. "Dipper... you have to understand...I had no idea Rick would do this, and I thought I could stop Bill-"

"I don't care about any of that!" Dipper snapped. Everyone in the Mystery Shack was stunned, not really knowing what to say. Seeing the silence, Dipper continued. "I don't blame you for Weirdmaggeden Uncle Ford, I just want to know what all this information has to do with Mabel. If you think this Sanchez guy kidnapped Mabel, you need to tell us why."

"That's just it... I don't think he did. Rick was never the type to take hostages.." Unless if they were research subjects, but Stanford decided to leave that bit out. "I do think that we have no choice but to visit him, to get our answers though."

"You can't be serious!" Old Man McGucket exclaimed.

"Based on the readings, we have no choice!" Stanford barked.

"GUYS!" Wendy shouted. "We have a visitor."

Dipper and the others turned to the front door to Robbie and Tambry, and to everyone's surprise- Pacifica Northwest.

"Hey Pines... the Mystery Shack looks good. Not as cob-webby..." Pacifica cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I'm just gonna ask." Stan spoke up. "What would you possibly want here? And whatever it is, beat it- cause you're not welcome."

"As blunt as always Mr. Pines, fine... I'll be quick. It's better for everyone involved, anyways." Reaching into her llama sweater, she pulled something out that made Dippers eyes widen. It was one of the journals... the first journal!

"Don't tell Mabel this but... it's honestly depressing without her." Pacific rubbed the back of her head. "I heard you asking around about your sister, and if anyone could remember him. Well, I came across this weird book in our new house a week ago just sitting on my bed. It creeps me out, so I'm giving it back." Pacifica handed Dipper the journal.

Dipper relished the hard covering and thickness, even today... it felt like the journals had all the answered. "Thank you Pacificia... you have no idea what this means."

"Yeah well... you guys saved my life, so I figured I should return the favor." Pacifica shrugged. "I don't know if this will bring back your sister, but it's worth a try."

"Oh come on! Out of all the yahoos in town, why did your sister have to save these two?!" Stan gestured at Pacifica and Gideon.

"Hey!" Gideon exclaimed.

"Also..." Pacifica reached into her sweater, earning everyone's attention again. "This was with the journal... I don't know what it is though."

Dipper looked at the item, feeling as though it was familiar somehow. Wendy, Tambry, Robbie, and Gideon did as well; none of the kids recognized the old item in front of them.

"Hey Mr. Pines, isn't that a videotape?" Soos pointed.

"Yep! These brats don't know good media..." Stand gestured to them with his thumb. "Still, I don't have a use for that piece of junk. No one has a VHS player anymore and the tapes themselves are worthless. I say, toss it in the furnace."

"Wait!" Ford exclaimed. "You said this tape was found with the journal?"

"Yeah." Pacifica shrugged. "I figured it belonged to you too, why?"

"It's probably related, but I have no idea how... in addition, does anyone know the name on the tape?" Ford asked.

"I dated a girl with that name once." Stan shrugged. "Wouldn't have wanted to record it though."

Dipper frowned, and picked up the tape to look for himself. While the tape was obviously related to the journal, he knew they couldn't do anything with it here.

Who was Nora? And why was a VHS tape addressed to her found with the journal?


	7. Peeling back the Layers

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for the positive response and inquisitive reviews! To answer several questions mentioned in the reviews: Ford met Rick before he met Bill, and Rick essentially set him on the path to meet Bill. Rick basically never told Ford exactly what his research was for, which is why he was tricked and did not know Bill was connected to Rick. As for the VHS tapes, they are definitely connected and will be important in the story for later. And to Critic-Writer.1, thanks for the awesome support! I actually appreciate questions about inconsistency, because there's a lot of details to keep track of. And as for why Ford could never get back to Earth- no idea, I'm guessing he didn't have a homing signal or something.**

 **So please, feel free to post any questions or clarifications you want about the story if it gets confusing. It actually helps me too. So for this chapter, we actually get a little insight into Steven's situation, and I'm not sure how you guys will feel about it. Without further ado, enjoy the chapter and drop a review if you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Rick and Morty, Gravity Falls, or Steven Universe**

Even though the Crystal Gems knew the videotape of Rose Quartz existed, this was the first time watching it. To say that it was emotional to hear their leader's voice after thirteen years was an understatement- Pearl couldn't stop the tears, while Amethyst and Ruby just quietly sobbed to themselves. It was especially difficult for Pearl, the last she had seen of Rose Quartz was about a month before Steven was born. As much as she loved her deceased leader, she couldn't help but feel resentment towards her on some level- Rose Quartz didn't even let them say goodbye to her.

But after watching this video, Pearl couldn't help but observe just how at peace her leader was. In that tape, Rose knew she was going to cease existing but couldn't have been more at peace than if Homeworld offered an official surrender. Rose was perfectly okay with Steven taking her place, and it was somehow reassuring for Pearl to know that. She imagined the others felt the same way as they watched the film, and could only hope that the tape stirred something in Greg.

After a pregnant silence, Amethyst spoke. "Hey big guy... you remembering anything?"

Greg didn't answer, his eyes still fixated on the screen. Really, what could he say? He felt perplexed and uncomfortable at first, being forced to watch a private home movie and all, only to discover it was his own. He had made this video with a beautiful pink woman he initially had no memory of, but as he watched it... the memories came back. Images popped into his brain as he suddenly remembered Rose, the Crystal Gems, and... Steven! His son! Greg couldn't help but tear up- how could he have forgotten his son?! His and Rose's son! He swore to Rose he would raise Steven right before she died... right as she died.

Greg would never forget how Steven formed in his arms as Rose Quartz struggled through the birth... she insisted that it had to be him and her to greet their child. But after Steven was born, Rose had said she loved them before fading... and now his son-

"Greg..." Pearl's voice broke the silence, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you remember...?"

"We made two tapes..." Greg mumbled, as memories began flooding his mind. "One if we hada boy, and another if we had a girl- her name would've been Nora. I'm a terrible father..." Greg put his hands over his eyes, and began to sob. "I forgot my own son... I forgot all those promises I made to Rose. I forgot meeting her, and you guys... I am so sorry I forgot you guys!"

Amethyst went over and brought Greg into a huge hug. "No worries dude, everyone else forgot too..."

Ruby patted his shoulder. "Yeah... Even Connie forgot Steven..."

At this, Greg stop his sobbing to truly look at the Crystal Gems. "Guys... where is Steven? What's going on?! Why does no one remember him?! Where did my memories go?!"

"We've been going over those very questions for awhile." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "We don't know where Steven is, or why everyone's forgotten him! The only ones who remembered him besides us were Lapis and Peridot, and they're off getting parts for a portal gun thingy."

"Wait- what?!" Greg stopped her. "Lapis and Peridot remember? And they're collecting parts for a portal gun?! What is that, and why do you guys need it?!"

"It's complicated, but Peridot said it might be linked to another human that has caused instances of world collapse based on what's happening with Sapphire." Pearl began.

"World shattering?! And is that why you guys aren't fused?!" Greg asked, pointing to Ruby and Sapphire. "What does this other human have to do with Sapphire, and what does this person have to do with Steven?! Was he kidnapped?!"

"We don't know!" Amethyst exclaimed. "We don't know any of this for sure, we're just going off what Peridot's been telling us!"

"Which makes no sense!" Greg yelled back.

"Neither does forgetting your own kid!" Amethyst snapped.

The room became very quiet after that, and Amethyst rubbed her arm in embarrassment. Pearl cleared her throat before speaking. "Greg... we'll share the entire hypothesis once Peridot and Lapis come back, but for now we'll have to wait. And with Sapphire and Ruby being unable to fuse, we're basically driving blind." After Greg didn't say anything, Pearl continued. "How about you tell us what your last memories of Steven were?"

"That's a good idea!" Amethyst agreed. "Was he acting weird before he disappeared?"

At this, Greg donned a thoughtful look before answering. "Actually, he was acting funny for the last few days that I saw him..."

FLASHBACK

 _Greg had been worried about his son. They had just got done watching Nora's tape, and Steven still looked just as anxious as when he brought the tape. Lion was especially tense, unlike his usual relaxed behavior, he was prowling back and forth in front of the van- like he was expecting something. "Hey Steven... is your Lion okay there?"_

 _Looking up from the grass he had been staring at, Steven also noted Lion's odd behavior but honestly couldn't find it in himself to be too concerned. "He's probably just nervous cause I'm so tense."_

 _"Yeah?" Greg looked at Steven. "You sure you're not disappointed about not having a great destiny or anything?"_

 _"That's just it... I don't want one." Steven sighed. "My life has been spinning out of control for the past year, and looking back on it- I went from singing about Cookie Cats to potentially having to save the earth. I... I don't want to disappoint anyone, I just... don't know if I can handle it. I wish my life would go back to the time of Cookie Cats."_

 _"I know what you mean, buddy." Greg rubbed his shoulder. "I wish we could go back in time when you were younger, and I didn't have to worry about you getting involved in Gem conflicts, but we can't. We have to accept how our lives are now, so we can get to where we want to in the future."_

 _"Dad..." Steven whined._

 _"I'm serious. I worry about you all the time." Greg stated. "It's not that I think the Crystal Gems would let anything happen to you, it's just that you're my son... and I have to trust that you'll come back."_

 _"Dad... I'm sorry, I had no idea you worried so much." Steven looked down in shame._

 _"Of course I do! I'm your dad!" Greg ruffled his hair. "But don't worry about worrying me or disappointing anyone, cause no one has anything they're expecting from you-"_

 _"Even mom?" Steven interrupted._

 _"What?" Greg asked._

 _"Even mom?" Steven asked seriously. "Would she really not expect anything from me? Cause it feels like she left everything to me, and I have no idea how to fix it."_

 _"Steven..." Greg frowned, shifting the boy onto his lap._

 _"Did she ever talk about what she wanted for me? What about being involved in Gem stuff? If she were alive, would she want me to fight alongside the Crystal Gems?!" Steven bombarded Greg with questions._

 _"Steven... you're mad at your mom, aren't you?" Greg asked sadly._

 _"I don't know... maybe. Does that make me a bad person?" Steven asked, tearing up. "She left me with so many problems, and hurt one of her own comrades... I just want to ask her why."_

 _"I know what you mean Steven... I know." Greg couldn't help but shed a tear for his son, feeling guilty for the amount of turmoil Steven was feeling. "I wish I had the answers for you, buddy."_

FLASH BACK END

"At the time, I just thought he was stressed out about the whole Homeworld situation but I guess I was wrong." Greg sighed.

"Wait... Steve went into Rose's room?" Pearl gasped. "And he conjured an image of her?!"

"That's what he told me. Is that bad?" Greg asked.

"It's bad because that probably confused him even more!" Pearl exclaimed. "That image he saw wasn't actually Rose, it was merely an interactive illusion that projected Rose! What if he ran away with this other human willingly?!"

"Hey Steven wouldn't do that!" Amethyst stated.

"We don't know what he would've done! Apparently, he was questioning his own existence and we didn't even know about it!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Guys!" Ruby suddenly spoke up. "It's Sapphire! She's waking up!" Squeezing her lover's hand, Ruby asked: "Sapphire? How are you feeling?"

Gritting her teeth, Sapphire managed to sit up and managed to steady herself with Ruby's help. Taking a breath, she found that her form was at least slightly more stable. "Steven... is with Lion... and someone else... another human."

"Another human?!" Pearl exclaimed. "Is it that other human Peridot described? The one with the 'portal gun'?!"

"No... it's a child..." Sapphire began gritting her teeth, and then was forced to shut her one eye and began shouting. "ONE EYE TRIANGLE! ONE EYE TRIANGLE!" Sapphire was suddenly rolling on the floor hysterically.

As Sapphire was screaming, Ruby squeezed her hand to try to partially fuse again to calm her. "Sapphire! Calm down! It's me! Come on, try to sync with me!"

As Ruby was desperately trying to calm her lover, the others were left even more perplexed than before. What did 'one eye triangle' mean?

/

Mabel had been wandering around the white space for who knows how long, and wasn't really getting anywhere. Not that she could tell what direction she was going. After she had wandered off from her bed, she found that the bed either disappeared or had vanished all together. She wondered if that pink lion had stolen it.

"Stupid Lion! Last time I trust a fully pink animal..." Mabel grumbled. "Who am I kidding, no it's not!" As Mabel continued walking, she noticed something up ahead- a giant pink woman. "Speaking of all pink things!" Running ahead, Mabel found that she was getting closer to the large pink woman and was able to fully take in her features. The woman had pinkish pale skin, wore a strapless white ball gown dress and had the biggest, pinkest curliest hair Mabel had ever seen.

Noticing that the woman's back was turned to her, Mabel cleared her throat and called out. "Hello! Miss! Lady! Miss Pink Lady! Turn around now! I need help, please! I'm lost in here, I don't know where I am, Waddles probably hasn't been fed cause my brother's horrible at taking care of him- so I really have to get out of here- please help me!" Mabel pleaded very fast. When the woman didn't turn around or make a sound, Mabel rose a brow. "Hello? Pink Lady?" Mabel went to pull on her dress, only to pass right through her.

Not expecting the person to be translucent, Mabel fell forward with an 'oopf' landing. "Ugh... what the...?" Mabel rubbed her head and came face to face with the pink lion from earlier. Only this time it was bearing its teeth right in her face, and seemed to be trying not to growl... or at the very least keep his voice down. Quickly flipping himself over onto her butt, Mabel backed up where the giant lady image used to be. "Uh... hey there Mr. Pink Lion. Easy there... I didn't know you were the pink lady... I don't know why you'd be a pink lady since your a guy lion, but we're all different and beautiful in our own way!"

The pink lion merely let a low growl before extending its claws and stalking forward. Mabel bit her lip and put her arms in front of her chest, not sure what else to do. She just remembered Dipper telling her to protect her vitals during a mauling, which apparently meant telling them bite your arms.

"Lion..." A sudden groggy voice interrupted the big cat, as it stopped and walked over to the voice. Mabel saw that it was the same boy from earlier riding the pink lion, who seemed to be about her age. Looking at him he seemed to have brown curly hair, wore flip flops, pink shirt with a star one it, and relaxed fitting jeans. Judging by his appearance, Mabel guessed he was from coastal area. Were they from the same state?

After petting the lion, the boy finally looked to see Mabel. "Oh hi... Lion didn't scare you did he? I promise that even though he has a big growl, he's no bite! Now aren't you Lion!" The boy cooed at his pet, to which the big cat huffed and walked away to curl up not far from him. Mabel could still feel the cat's eyes on her though.

Despite that, Mabel gave a smile. "No worries! Waddles, my pet pig- who's also pink- gets the same way with strangers!" Even giving a dismissive wave. "I'm Mabel Pines! What's your name?"

"Steven Universe!" After shaking hands, Steven looked around. "What is this place?"

"Ugh! I was hoping you could tell me that! Feels like I've been lost for hours!" Mabel groaned in exasperation. "Honestly, I've been trying to find you and your lion ever since I saw you earlier."

"What do you mean earlier?" Steven asked.

Mabel shrugged. "I don't know when this was exactly, my phone's battery completely died after one call." Mable showed the phone for emphasis. "But you were unconscious riding on your lion's back, and I don't know how much time passed."

"Seriously? Well, that should be no problem!" Steven smiled. "Lion and I will take you home!"

"Really?! That's be great! Thank you!" Mabel couldn't believe her luck, as she watched Steven coax his pet to stand and spoke to him, like Mabel spoke to Waddles. After the boy got on, Mabel followed suit and approached the big cat. Steven held out his hand, and the pink lion seemed to reluctantly accept his master's decision to trust her.

"So where you from?" Steven asked.

"Pidemont, California. You?" Mabel asked.

"Beach City, Delmarva. Cool! Have you ever been to our town?" Steven smiled.

Mabel frowned and shook her head. "I don't think so, no. Where is it?"

"On the best part of the East Coast! It's like the best combo of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia." Steven smiled. "Okay Lion! Take us home!"

Snorting, the pink Lion did as he was told and roared. Mabel bit her lip, having a bad feeling about this. The pink lion had already tried this once, and Mabel had a feeling that if the lion could leave, she wouldn't have met Steven.

"Oh yeah Steven, there was a giant pink woman with big curls standing over you while you were sleeping... who was she?"

/

Dipper was still slightly perplexed at the recent development. Not only did someone else remember Mabel, but she was the last person Dipper expected. Examining the first journal, Dipper couldn't help but let the warm feelings of nostalgia take over- he and Mabel had so many adventures in Gravity Falls and most of it was written down in this journal. He glanced up, noticing that Wendy, Robbie, and Tambry were talking with Soos, and that Ford and Stan were arguing about what to do next, along with Gideon and McGucket.

Noticing that Pacifica hadn't left yet, and was standing there awkwardly, Dipper went up to her and asked: "Did you find the other journals?"

The blond girl shook her head. "No. Like I said, that book and that old 'video tape', as those old guys called it, was the only thing I found with it."

"Do you know anyone named Nora?" Dipper asked. He honestly couldn't remember meeting anyone with that name in Gravity Falls.

"Nope." Pacifica shrugged and sighed. "Look. I just wanted to drop by and give you this stuff, cause I honestly don't want it anywhere near me." After a moment, she looked at Dipper and asked, "Is she really gone? No one remembers Mabel?"

Dipper hid his eyes, but nodded. "Yeah. Pacifica... I know you said you found the journal randomly, but please... tell me why you were really looking for it. I think it's safe to say that what's said here won't leave this cabin."

Pacifica didn't respond at first, but eventually answered. "When you got back into town, word quickly spread that you might of lost your mind or something from Weirdmaggeden. Some people said you were traumatized and were misremembering stuff, while others said you were just trying to solve another mystery in this place. When I asked through the grapevine this town is, they told me you thought you had a sister."

"...Which you found weird because... you remembered Mabel too." Dipper said with finality. "Robbie, Tambry, McGucket, and Gideon are the only other people besides me who remembers Mabel and we still don't know why. But out of all the people that could have possibly remembered Mabel, I never thought you'd be one of them." When Pacifica frowned, Dipper glared. "Hey, offense completely intended. You were nothing but mean to my sister and I since we met, and only towards the end you proved you were at least slightly human. And even in Weirdmagedden, you were reluctant towards us... so forgive me, if I'm wary about you now being added into the mix."

"...I know." Pacifica rubbed her arm. "I honestly don't know why I remembered her either. All I know is that I owed you and Mabel, so I thought maybe if I shifted through my parents stuff, I could find something that proved Mabel's existence. Your sister had all those craft projects and were in so many news articles, and she could've left something at that party my parents held- the one with all the angry ghosts."

"Yeah. I remember." Dipper nodded, and honestly had to admit it was a good idea. Mabel might've made a sign or contract with her friends about boys or something at the party, he recalled his sister was having some kind of issue with boys at the party- he couldn't remember. Mabel had way too many crushes to keep track of. "So you went through your parents stuff, thinking Mabel might've drawn on something important, and found the journal. Where'd you find it again?"

"In the closet- it was in the town documents about the true founder." Pacifica answered. "I honestly have no idea how it got there."

Nodding, Dipper sighed. "Well thanks."

"Yeah..." Rubbing her arm again, Pacifica sighed. "I'm gonna go. Um... look... you're right that I wasn't very cool with you and Mabel. But... if people forgot that I existed, I... don't know how I would deal with it. She's probably pretty scared... I hope you find her soon."

"Yeah. Thanks Pacifica." Dipper nodded. After the girl left, Dipper once again looked between the journal and VHS tape. He briefly wondered if Stan had a VHS player, or if Ford could play the media relic on a different machine.

"Hey squirt!" Dipper's attention turned to his Grunkle Stan. "Your Uncle Ford and I have been arguing back and forth on this, with me saying we should go for it and him saying he needs to 'go it alone'" Stan put air quotes up.

"For the last time! It's too dangerous!" Ford exclaimed.

"What's too dangerous?" Dipper frowned.

"Rick Sanchez." Ford answered seriously. "We need to find him, to figure just what the heck is going on! But this man is dangerous, and I'm the only one whose traveled extensively through the multiverse. It's unthinkable to bring anyone else with me, let alone my family!"

"And it's unthinkable to let my twin brother go through that gate thing again! What if you need back up?!" Stan argued.

"I survived well enough on my own in there before, this won't be any different." Ford answered.

"This is different! You're going after the guy who made Bill! Who knows what else he's got up his sleeve?!" Stan argued. "No Ford! If you're going, then I'm going too!"

"You don't know what this man is capable of!" Ford pointed out.

"And I've always done better in fights, you need me." Stand said. "Bedsides, if we have a grand niece, we should go get her."

"Seconded." Gideon spoke up. "I too, want to go meet this Sanchez individual and give him a stern talking to!"

"Hey human hamster!" Stan barked. "Didn't you hear the man?! This Rick guy doesn't respond to talking! Ford and I need to go in, with brass knuckles polished and laser guns charged!"

"Always going without thinking things through again, some things never change-"

"ENOUGH!" Dipper's yell silenced the whole cabin. The boy looked up at both his uncles, meeting them in the eye as best he could. "Grunkle Stan, Uncle Ford... I agree that we have to find this Rick guy, but if anyone's going- it's me."

Stan and Ford frowned, with the former replying, "Not gonna happen kid."

"I can fire up the portal myself, and you guys can choose whether or not to go with me." Dipper kept his gaze. "Guys, I know you mean well but... you don't even remember Mabel. How's she going to feel when you don't even recognize her?"

"Dipper-" Ford tried.

"No. Mabel and I have been through the most messed up things Gravity Falls had to offer, and even worse... Middle School. If she's trapped somewhere or too scared to move- then I have to be the one to bring her out of it." Dipper declared. "More than that... I need to know she's okay. We probably won't be able to stay connected through walkie-talkie, and waiting around is not gonna cut it. Mabel needs me, and I need her... more than anything right now."

Stan scratched the back of his head. "Kid..."

"I'm going guys. You can come with me, or not at all." Dipper said with finality, and turned to the McGucket. "Please Mr. McGucket... help me set up the portal?"

"Woah dude!" Wendy suddenly spoke up, and knelt down to him. "We get that you're scared, and I'd be demanding the same if I were you but... going it alone isn't the answer. For once, your Uncle's right."

"I have to share my sentiments, Dipper Pines." Gideon sighed. "As much as I would love to be the knight in shining armor to my princess, there is no way I would face the made man who made Bill alone!"

"Seriously." Tambry and Robbie quipped.

Rubbing his temple, Ford looked to McGucket. "What do you think Fiddleford?"

"I think going at all, is suicide for anyone here." McGucket said grimly.


	8. Searching through the Depths

**Hey guys! The next chapter's here and things are starting to get interesting. To those who asked for more Rick: I promise he's coming, but he's probably not going to appear for the next few chapters or so. Don't get me wrong, I'm not minimizing him in any way- but it'll just be time for him to show. As for Morty, he'll definitly have a role in this fic but he won't be the first character they'll meet from that universe. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and feel free to leave a review to show your appreciation!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Rick & Morty, Gravity Falls, or Steven Universe**

Mabel didn't want to be rude to her traveling companion, but she never felt so much motion sickness in her life! The pink lion jumping through wormholes was starting to take a toll on her stomach, which made her realize that she hadn't used the bathroom or brushed her teeth since waking up. Thoughts of whether or not Steven had experienced the same things were short lived, as the lion once again grounded to a halt.

They had been traveling through wormholes for the past half hour, or what felt like half hour to Mabel, and were still in the same white blank space they started in. Whether or not they were in the same parts of the space or not was unknown to Mabel, but the lion's constant roars indicated the beast had the same frustrations. She also had to wonder if the lion ever got tired, or needed to eat or go to the bathroom like they did.

"Ah man!" She heard Steven say. "We're right back where he started!"

"How can you tell?" Mabel asked.

"I can't." Steven shrugged. "I'm just saying that to make myself feel better."

"Okay..." Mabel understood the sentiment. "Steven, do you know how long you've been here?"

"No." Steven shook his head. "I've been wandering around with Lion here looking for the way out, and then you found us when I was dreaming about my mom."

Now that got Mabel's attention. "Wait what?"

"Dreaming of my mom." Steven repeated. "It was the large pink woman you described standing over me. Rose Quartz! My awesome mom! The leader of the Crystal Gems... you know!"

"Steven, like I said before- I don't know who Rose Quartz or the Crystal Gems are. But before that- you said you were dreaming of your mom?" Mabel clarified.

"Yeah... I've been dreaming of her a lot lately." Steven looked away slightly.

"Hey, it's okay to dream of family! It means you love them!" Mabel reassured.

"Yeah..." Steven gave an uncertain smile and asked. "Why are you asking about my dreams anyway?"

"Well think about it..." Mabel was trying her hardest to remember everything she observed so far in this weird place, and desperately wished her brother was here. "We've been getting nowhere with this place just wandering around aimlessly, maybe we're supposed to think of the things we want or something?"

"Maybe..." Steven agreed. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Mabel smiled. "Yeah!"

"Bathroom Break!" Was their first order of business.

/

Lapis Lazuli was one annoyed gem, she thought she and Peridot were going to the armory or the kindergarten control room. However, the moment they landed at the late Rose Quartz weapons vault, Peridot changed course on her. "Lazuli... I want you to listen carefully. I know you won't like this but... we need to go to the Lunar Sea Spire."

"...What?" Lapis knew she couldn't have heard her housemate correctly. Peridot knew her feelings towards the water were still lukewarm at best, so the idea of diving down into the deep blue sea was unthinkable. Besides, Peridot was trying her best to be a good friend by Steven's standards, which made her request that much more illogical. "What are you talking about?"

Peridot looked apologetically at her and explained. "This vault.. it's probably not going to have anything of use. These weapons are powerful, but they're old gem tech that aren't applicable to our situation. We need materials and products related to engineering and travel. We'd most likely get more information from the Prime Kindergarten Control Room, and that's mainly due to the data of the earth's astronomical properties."

"Then let's go there instead of the ocean." Lapis stated bluntly.

"We will, but I don't think that will do much good either... unless..." Peridot suddenly got a thoughtful look. "Wait! That actually might be our answer!" Before Lapis could respond, Peridot grabbed her hand and got back on the Warp Pad. After typing in the coordinates, Lapis felt the familiar rush of teleportation and closed her eyes. When they opened, Lapis could not help but let a chill crawl up her arm. The kindergarten room was as depressing as the ones on Homeworld, even with out the advancements.

Without missing a beat, Peridot ran over to the control panel and began typing. The screen showed her going through different files, before finally finding what she was looking for. "I'll need to go up to the Moonbase to confirm this, but I think I may know what have triggered the memory loss and Sapphire's reaction."

"What?" Lapis was confused. She looked at the screen and only saw a bunch of equations, data spreads, as well as an image of rotating earth.

Peridot bit her lip and her eyes widened. "According to this data, the earth basically stopped turning the night Steven disappeared!"

"Excuse me?" Lapis couldn't believe that. "Wouldn't that cause the earth not have gravity or something?" She recalled Connie saying something along those lines.

"As I said, more accurate and descriptive data will be available at the Moonbase but... this database states that the earth's movements literally paused for a whole minute the night before Steven disappeared. This could lead to a number of catastrophic consequences, but instead Steven's missing and every human's memory has basically been altered." Peridot explained. "This could mean a number of things, but if my theory's correct... it would explain Sapphire's reaction."

"And that is?" Lapis was getting anxious.

"Sapphires are heavily prized for their clarity- they can see everything before the events unfold with accuracy. That accuracy exists because each world is governed by the law of time. It only moves forward, and produces concrete results regardless of what situation it applies to. This streamline effect is what allows Sapphires to mentally travel at a faster rate, and they determine the outcomes as they play out. However... if a universe were to diverge or become replaced with one of its alternate time-lines, essentially if one possibility replaced the one that happened as the Sapphire knew it, it could complicate matters significantly."

"So?" Lapis was confused. "Wouldn't Sapphire continue to have visions? Why is she in pain?"

"That's because the past in this world has changed so drastically. Scientifically speaking, the events of the past lead to the transgressions of the future. So when a Sapphire's vision of the future contradicts the past..." Peridot began.

"...Then her visions and experience contradict themselves." Lapis gasped in realization. "That's what you really think? That an alternative time-line somehow replaced the one we were in? How? How do we get it back?!"

Peridot waved her hands. "As I said- this is all theory, we need the data on the Moonbase to confirm this."

"Then we should go there!" Lapis stated.

"No. Even if my hypothesis is correct, we still don't know why this time-line where Steven doesn't exist became active, nor does it explain the presence of the unknown human in the Sapphires' visions. Even with my theory, there's still a strong possibility Steven was abducted and we need to take precautions against a single human, who clearly showed no fear of Diamond Matriarch." Peridot explained. "We need to be prepared."

Lapis sighed, seeing where this was going. "Why the ocean base...?"

"Because it's the only base that hasn't been thoroughly explored, which may contain a weapon or device that'll be helpful to us." Peridot explained sadly. "Lazuli... I know I am asking a lot for your assistance, but your skills are truly best suited for this. Please accompany me... for Steven." Peridot held out her hand.

After a moment, Lapis resigned herself to the fact that she had to go back down there and shook the hand. "For Steven."

/

Steven was relieved that Mabel pointed out the image of his mother- it would have been awkward for him to say that he already received help previously. As Mabel was brushing her teeth and freshening up in the bathroom they conjured, Steven couldn't help but admire the work he and Mabel created. With their imagination they created two rooms conjoined by that bathroom suiting both their interests- consisting of Cookie Cats, retro video games, two conjoining rooms, along with a fridge in a common room that met their every need. They even had a TV and phone!

Smiling, Steven sat on his bed next to Lion, who hadn't calmed down since they got here. Seriously! What was there to be afraid of! This place was like a safer version of his mom's room. Suddenly, Lion jerked his head up and growled deeply- signaling Steven who was coming.

In a bright flash, a one dimensional triangle with one eye, simple cartoon arms and legs, and a top hat appeared above him. Steven smiled brightly. "Bill!"

The triangle winked at him and tipped his hat. "How's it going Steven?!" He asked excitedly. "You were thinking about your mom again, and I just wanted to check in to make sure you won't too lonely!"

"No. I'm fine. You brought a friend as promised. And I didn't tell them about you, as promised." Steven laughed a little. "Though she hasn't heard of the Crytal Gems, and talks a lot about this place called Gravity Falls, she seems like a fun person. Though it's weird, she says she's never heard of Beach City or Delmarva, which is strange since we stick out on a map. We're going to visit each other sometime! You should meet Mabel, she's really nice! I don't know how you can be so shy around new people. You were pretty friendly around me."

"Yes, yes... typical crossover stuff." Bill waved his hand, and completely ignored Steven's questions.. "But you still don't seem happy."

"Well... it's just that... when I asked for friends... I was hoping you'd bring someone I actually know. Like my dad, or Connie... or anyone from Beach City." Steven answered nervously.

"You can always make new friends!" Bill answered. "Besides! I thought your friends were lameos, who didn't understand you!"

"Well maybe... but still. It feels like I haven't seen them in awhile, and I'm getting lonely." Steven sighed. "It's cold that I can make this place fund and all, but I'm getting worried about the others are home. Bill... when do I get to meet my mom?"

Bill chuckled. "When I'm ready to make a deal, kid."

/

As long as Peridot promised to not let go of her hand, and Steven would buy her a really comfy bed to sleep in after this, Lapis knew she would be fine. She was practically crushing the other gem's hand, but Peridot barely noticed as they explored the dark ruins. They had already entered the coliseum, and were exploring the different lecture halls that were previously used by Homeworld elite.

"Bismuths really do nice work." Peridot commented as she walked through the halls. "What do you think Lazuli?"

"I don't care. I just want to leave." Lapis said honestly.

"Understood. I'm working on it." Peridot sighed. "I'm going to go towards the quantum mechanics hall. There's most likely a lab with old transportation experiment modules."

As the gems continued walking, something caught Lapis' eye. They were currently circling the courtyard again, which is where Lapis found a suspicious looking item in front of the fountain. It seemed to be one of those weird paper relics Steven called books- it seemed to be in bad shape. The brown binding was in tethers, with the pages being an odd tinge of yellow. Lapis was so distracted by the book, she let got of Peridot's hand to get a closer look.

"Lazuli?" Peridot asked perplexed. "What's wrong?"

Lapis ignored her and picked up the book. One the cover was a human palm print but it had six fingers instead of five. The palm also contained the number two, indicating it was a volume in a series of some kind. "Hey Peridot. Come look at this." Lapis opened the book, and was surprised to see it was in human language. Showing it to her friend, she continued: "This book is written in human language. Other than Steven, have any other humans been down here?"

Looking through the pages, Peridot was just as confused. "No. At these depths, no human could handle the pressure of the water's depth. In addition, this book is old but there appears to be no water damage. Impossible!"

Lapis' eyes widened. "You think it was that other human?! Do you think he stole some gem tech, and kidnapped Steven to show him how it works?"

"It's plausible..." Peridot couldn't help but agree with the logic. As she continued to look through it, Peridot found herself getting increasingly perplexed. This book seemed to be an archaic database, consisting of organic species she had yet to encounter on earth. "Strange though... these notes don't contain any data on Steven of the Crystal Gems."

"Maybe that guy dropped it." Lapis shrugged.

"Perhaps. But why leave it next to the fountain?" Peridot was confused. "It's like he wanted us to find him..." Lapis and Peridot gained worried expressions and faced each other. "Lazuli... that human didn't abduct Steven to demonstrate the gem tech."

"He kidnapped him, to make the Crystal Gems show him how it works." Lazuli finished. "We need to find Steven! Now!"

"We don't know where he is!" Peridot exclaimed. "We're down here, searching for any technology that may help us find him!"

Lapis grabbed the book and looked through it again. "This book keeps mentioning these creatures are in this place called 'Gravity Falls. Steven has to be there!"

"We don't know for sure, but it's the only lead we have!" Taking her hand again, Peridot said: "We need to tell the others of your hypothesis! Gravity Falls, here we come!"

/

Dipper continued to stare at the VHS tape as he and the others waited for McGucket, Stan and Ford to set up the dimensional gateway. Even though there was a risk that his great uncles could leave without him, Dipper was fairly certain they wouldn't. Everyone in the cabin knew he was right when he said that Mabel needed him, and that they couldn't rescue her without him. Not to mention, he was still fairly certain that his uncles doubted Mabel's existence and would need him to verify who she was.

"Hey dude." Dipper looked up from the VHS tape, to see Wendy looking down at him fondly. "How are you doing?"

"How do you think I'm doing?" Dipper looked away from her. "My sister's been kidnapped by an interdimmensional mad scientist, and I had to involve my least favorite Gravity Falls residents to prove her existence."

"I know dude, it's rough." Wendy nodded. "I can't imagine going through this if it were one of my brothers. Or my dad..." Looking at the Robbie, Tambry, and Gideon, Wendy sighed. "Mabel didn't get along with those guys huh?"

"Or Pacifica." Dipper answered. "Gideon's always been obsessed her, she helped Robbie get set up with Tambry, and she never really interacted with Tambry other than setting her up with Rob-" The boy suddenly got a look of realization.

"What is it?" Wendy asked.

"I know why they remember Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed. "Each of them had direct interaction with the supernatural!"

"What do you mean?" Wendy rose a brow. "Gideon, I get- I mean, he made that deal with Bill- but Robbie and Tambry? How?"

Dipper bit his lip and sighed. "Uh... don't get mad, but during the Woodstick music festival, when you guys were fighting over the Robbie-Tambry thing, Mabel and I sprayed Robbie and Tambry with love potions. Or well, we sprayed them before the festival and we thought we had to break them up after you and your other friends started fighting, which led to us stealing potions from the Love God." Dipper said the last part quickly.

"Wait. That was you two?" Wendy said in realization. "No wonder I don't remember how they got together! Because without Mabel, that wouldn't have happened."

"Exactly." Dipper nodded. "Gideon has been exposed to the supernatural so much that he probably was immune to whatever this Sanchez guy did to the universe."

"And McGucket?" Wendy asked.

"I don't know. I'm guessing it's the same as with Gideon, but... I don't think Mabel greatly affected him in any way. Not to mention, if it was purely due to exposure, then Grunkle Stan and Ford would've remembered her too." Dipper sighed. "But at least part of the mystery's solved."

After a moment of silence, Wendy took notice of the VHS in Dipper's hand. "You wanna watch it?"

"The tape?" Dipper held up the item. "I'd love to, but I fell like I'd be invading somebody's privacy."

"Dude. You should anyways, it might contain a clue about Mabel." Wendy pointed out.

Dipper bit his lip and had to agree with the redhead. Dipper had been curious about the tape since Pacifica gave it to him, and he hadn't the slightest idea of why it might have been found with the book. And really... at this point, any hints would be helpful. "Let's get the others and watch a movie I guess."

In under five minutes, Dipper and Wendy had everyone gathered in the living room. Soos quickly setup the VHS player, and asked Dipper to hand over the tape. "Okay dudes. This may take a few minutes. You have to rewind these things, to make sure you don't miss anything."

"Ugh! What a lame way to watch a movie!" Robbie complained.

"Seriously." Tambry rolled her eyes. "Just use the DVR remote to skip to the good parts."

"Videotapes aren't compatible with that technology you twit! It's too old!" Gideon huffed. "Are we sure watching this tape, will lead us to Mabel?"

"I don't know. But we're about to find out." Dipper sighed, and looked up when he felt someone rubbing his head again.

"It'll be okay, dude." Wendy smiled gently.

Nodding, Dipper gulped and braced himself for whatever was on that video. And could only grip the seat handles when Soos pushed play.

/

Mabel was feeling uneasy about Steven at this point- not only did he seem unbothered by their situation, he seemed to be completely ignoring how stressed out his lion was. As she was playing retro video games with him, particularly a ninja fighting game, Mabel noticed that he seemed just as relaxed as he would have been at home. While Mabel was far from uncomfortable, she still felt a strong sense of urgency to escape. Not to mention, everything about this space was eerily familiar. The environment seemed self sufficient, the space also seemed to be in-tune with their every physical need. The space had generated chips and soda, along with cookie cats to satisfy their snack craving.

As the match ended, Mabel spoke, "Hey Steven?"

"Yeah Mabel?" He asked without looking at her.

"Do you really not know how long you've been here?" Mabel inquired.

"No. Why would I? There's no way to tell time in here." Steven pointed out.

"Yeah, but aren't you worried? Clearly enough time has passed for breakfast to get digested." Mabel referred to the bathroom. "Besides, our friends and family are probably waiting for us."

Steven seemed to stiffen at the question. "I'm sure we haven't been gone long."

"Well I'm not." Mabel paused the game. "Steven. I went to bed in my own room, with my pet pig, after saying goodbye to my brother and parents. And I wake up and I'm suddenly here. This place isn't normal Steven, weren't you taken from your family?"

Steven sighed. "Yeah. I went to bed in my home, with my pet lion, after saying good night to the Crystal Gems and my dad. I was surprised when I woke up here, but nothing bad has happened here and our needs seem to be taken care of."

"And you're not the least bit worried?" Mabel rose a bow.

"Whatever brought us here probably doesn't mean any harm." Steven reassured. "Trust me! I've been kidnapped a time or two by desperate gems, and it's always been a misunderstanding. Whoever brought us here is probably just lonely, and when they show up we'll just explain we have to go."

"I've been kidnapped in Gravity Falls." Mabel's frown deepened. "Trust me... none of those were misunderstandings- they were just out to hurt me and my family. If you're right about this, then this person would've shown themselves already. We need to find a way out of here!"

"Calm down Mabel. We will, let's put our heads together to find the host of this find party!" Steven nudged her while smiling and squealing.

"Ugh. Dipper's right... my over-enthusiasm is annoying." Mabel rolled her eyes. Not that she would ever change her love of cute boys or unicorns! "Steven, be serious! We could be in serious danger!"

"Heh! Lion and I a proud member of the Crystal Gems! No danger's too great for Steven Universe!" Steven proclaimed proudly, while petting Lion.

"Well I still don't know who the Crystal Gems are, but my brother and I have survived encounters with all sorts of supernatural and sci-fi stuff! But that doesn't mean that we'd be comfortable in a life-size version of Candy Land! And that's a place where you can eat your fears!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Wait... you've never heard of the Crystal Gems?" Steven asked.

"No, for the fourth time. Are they like a girl group or something?" Mabel asked. "You've mentioned them several times, so I assumed they were famous or something."

"Well we do sing sometimes, but no... the Crystal Gems are members of an alien race, called Gems, that tried to colonize earth but were stopped by my mom- Rose Quartz- who started the Gem War, and formed the Crystal Gems to stop Homeworld from destroying the earth." Steven smiled.

Mabel was speechless. "Ok... you're going to have to start from the top, cause I didn't get any of that. And I don't think the Crystal Gems were ever mentioned in the Journals- were they ever in Gravity Falls, Oregon?"

"No... we haven't been to the West Coast yet." Steven shook his head. "Gravity Falls you said was the name? I thought you were said you were from California?"

"I am. But all the supernatural stuff happened to me in Gravity Falls." Mabel explained. "We had 90 days of summer adventures, and fighting magic stuff! Big Foot! Unicorns, who are complete jerks! And evil obsessive video games, which do not replace girlfriend companionship under any circumstances! Anyways, there was this huge conspiracy involving our uncles and different worlds, and-"

"Uh... maybe you should you start from the beginning." Steven suggested.

"Yeah... who wants to go first?" Mabel asked.

"I guess, I'll go..." Steven gave an uncomfortable chuckle.

/

After watching the video tape, Dipper was more confused than before. The video featured to young parents – a guy with a REALLY long mullet playing an electric guitar and a pinkish woman with huge curls. From what it sounded like, the woman was having a daughter named Nora and most likely wouldn't survive the birth. Based on the pinkish tint of the woman's skin and hair, it was possible she was suffering from a terminal illness.

As sad as the video was, Dipper was still confused about how it was connected to the journals. Was it just a coincidence? Also, the setting of the tape bugged Dipper too. It looked like a very nice beach in California, maybe somewhere on the East Coast- nothing like the cold, windy, and rarely sunny beaches of the Oregon coast. If the tape was shot in somewhere other than Gravity Falls, or Oregon in general, then that added another layer of mystery to their situation. As discovered in Weirdmaggeden, none of the supernatural stuff could happen outside Gravity Falls.

So if this tape was connected to the journals- how was it? Other than the pinkish color of the woman, there was nothing on that tape that suggested anything supernatural. Was it just a coincidence that it was found with the journals? If so, why did Pacifica not recognize it? The couple on the VHS tape was WAY too nice to be related to the Northwesterns.

"That was beautiful!" Robbie sniffled. He, Gideon, and Soos were tearing up like crazy.

"Life is so beautiful!" Soos cried in agreement.

"I know! I hope Mabel and I have the chance to make a tape like this!" Gideon cried. "Bless that pink mama and that mullet-loving daddy! Little Miss Nora must have the best parents in the world!"

As the others were crying, Dipper awkwardly stepped away and looked at Wendy and Tambry. "Is it normal to be weirded out like this?"

"In this case dude, totally." Wendy nodded.

"Yeah..." Tambry affirmed. "It was a cool thing for the parents to do. We should give the tape back to this Nora-chick."

"Pacifica said she didn't recognize the name though." Dipper pointed out.

"Is there anything in the Journal that would explain it?" Wendy asked.

"No... except..." Dipper sighed. "I know there are various passages that refer to multidimensional travel in the journals, but I think it's talked about most in the second or third volume."

"Where are they now?" Wendy asked.

"I threw them down the Bottomless Pit, which means they could have ended up anywhere." Dipper explained. "It's possible this VHS tape was thrown into the pit too and just landed in the same place as the journal in Pacifica's closet. Maybe we're putting too much stock into the tape."

"No dude!" Soos suddenly spoke up. "I'm not the smartest guy here, but if it's one thing you little dudes taught me- it's that nothing associated with those books is a co-inci-dence."

"Soos is right." Wendy nodded. "We don't have much to go on, so let's just assume the tape and journal are connected with your sister's disappearance."

"You're right." Dipper nodded. "Besides... if anyone can explain the connection, its this Rick Sanchez guy."

"Yes... I cannot wait to rescue my princess and slay that dragon!" Gideon proclaimed.

"Ugh! Too much cliché is nauseating!" Robbie complained.

"Seriously." Both Tambry and Wendy said.

"Especially when it's about my sister." Dipper finished.

Everyone laughed at the boy's discomfort as Soos handed the tape back to him. For the first time since Mabel's disappearance, he felt as though he would find her. The sudden opening of the vending machine door got everyone's attention, with McGucket coming out. "It's ready."


	9. Following the Treasure Map

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, with just one away from the two groups finally meeting. As a side note, I made several jokes about how people mispronounce Oregon, so hope the humor's appreciated to those who get it. To OMAC001, you are right that there is a revenge scheme cooking but there's a much bigger plot going under the surface too. For everyone else, thank you for the continuous reviews, I'm really glad you guys like the story! Thanks guys and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

After finishing their stories, both Mabel and Steven were thoroughly confused and amazed. Neither of them were used to meeting people who lived lives as extraordinary as theirs. But there was something bothering them... why hadn't they head of each other?

"Wow Mabel... Gravity Falls sounds like an awesome place." Steven smiled. "You and your brother really discovered magic stuff everywhere there? Who would've thought the world ending apocalypse would come something out of conspiracy?"

"Yeah! Dipper led the investigations though. He was always into that stuff, way before I was!" Mabel laughed. "I teased him with it, said that he never would get a girlfriend. And then he was crushing on the coolest girl in Gravity Falls, Wendy, who was older and way out of his league. Grunkle Stan would join him too and then Soos would..."

Steven frowned when Mabel trailed off. "Something wrong Mabel?"

"Yeah. Sorry Steven... I just miss them." Mabel reassured. "So these Crystal Gems ladies sound awesome!"

"Well everyone is Beach City is awesome." Steven replied proudly, but then sighed. "I know what you mean about missing them but... honestly, I've been enjoying myself here. I'm not really in any hurry to go back."

"Why?" Mabel pressed.

"Because... it's been getting pretty intense lately, and I've been asking a lot of things that no one has the answers to." Steven admitted.

"Grunkle Stan called it puberty." Mabel joked.

"That's not what I mean, and that's another thing! I don't know if I'll even go through puberty like a normal kid!" Steven lifted his shirt slightly to reveal the pink gemstone, to which Mable previously thought was a high quality belly-button rhinestone. "Like I said... my mom was the leader of the Crystal Gems and was a full gem. She had me with my dad, and she... left me with so many unanswered questions, unsolved problems... I don't even know what I am!"

Mabel frowned as Steven ranted, and pat his shoulder. "Steven... did you want to come here?"

At this, Steven shook his head no. "No. I was upset after talking with my dad about my potential 'destiny', but I didn't go to bed last night wanting to be somewhere else. As much as I complain, I love the Crystal Gems. I love everyone in Beach City, especially my dad. And as scared as I am... I didn't plan on running from anything."

"That's good." Mabel nodded. "I learned the hard way in Weirdmaggeden that you can't run from your problems."

"Yeah..." Steven bit his lip before asking. "Mabel... how did you say Weirdmaggeden happened again?"

"Ugh! By this evil triangle monster thing named Bill!" Mabel clenched her fists at the memory. "Think the triangle on the dollar bill but yellow, add a top hat, old style cartoon legs and hands, and cane- then you get Bill. And I know that sounds crazy, but all he had to do was wave his hands and he could do anything. Except leave Gravity Falls thankfully."

"Yeah..." Steven smiled uneasily. "Hey Mabel... you know how you mentioned that your brother was into to supernatural and sci-fi stuff? Why did you guys never visit Beach City? The Crystal Gems and I would've loved to talk to you!" That was a bald face lie- they'd tolerate the Pines siblings for Steven's sake, but they wouldn't be up for interview questions at all.

"We've never heard of you." Mabel answered. "That's a good point. Unlike Gravity Falls, your sci-fi stuff was all out in the open. Not to mention, you're all the way out on the East Coast in that state I nor anyone else ever head of- it would've been too much money for us to fly to the East Coast."

"Still... it's weird that you and brother haven't heard of the Crystal Gems. We would've been on the news at some point, or you would have read Ronaldo's blogs at some point." Steven pointed out.

"If he's a hipster blogger who writes about stuff no one believes or cares about, then you're right." Mabel affirmed.

"Mabel... have you been kidding, when you mentioned that you never heard of Delmarva- even when it's famous for seafood and beaches?" Steven asked nervously.

"No, never. Why?" Mabel rose a brow.

Steven bit his lip, and unconsciously clutched his stomach. He was trying to desperately to stave off the anxiety rising, ever since Mabel mentioned Weirdmaggeden. "Well, I think it's so weird that we haven't met yet. I mean... your brother sounds like that would reach out, so I just thought..."

"Thought what...?" Mabel didn't like the sound of this.

"That that it maybe possible that... we're from different worlds?" Steven smiled nervously as he shrugged. "I know it sounds like something out of a crossover fanfic, but hear me out! You've never heard of Delmarva or the Crystal Gems, even though your brother and probably your uncles would've reached out! Your brother likes to follow sci-fi and supernatural blog posts but never reached out to Ronaldo or me, even though you should've heard of us at some point. Plus, we're in this weird space! Is it really so crazy that there's more than world, or universe, or whatever...?"

"No. I actually was thinking the same thing you were." Mabel admitted. "If that's the case, how'd we get here? Why were we brought together?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Steven muttered in a frustrated tone.

After a moment of silence passed, Mabel sighed. "Hey Steven... I've been meaning to ask you something- why have you been ignoring your lion?"

Steven frowned and looked over the pink feline. "What do you mean? He's fine."

"He's hasn't stopped pacing since we started playing video games, and after beating the final boss of that Panda Kung Fu Warriors three times- I think I can say that it's been awhile." Mabel pointed out. "Besides... doesn't he have to go to the bathroom for that?"

"Lion's magic makes that unnecessary." Steven explained. "But I haven't been ignoring him."

"You're acting so relaxed and casual, while he's acting like his paw's going to get caught in bear trap at any second." Mabel pointed. "You should want to get out of here just based on that. Whenever Waddles doesn't like something- I step away from the situation."

"Yeah well... doesn't look like we can leave." Steven turned his head away. "Besides, Lion's probably just being paranoid."

"Has he ever been wrong?" Mabel asked.

"Well no... but panicking about our situation isn't going to make it any better?" Steven replied. "You probably had to be patient during Weirdmaggeden right? But that turned out okay."

"Yeah..." Mabel suddenly grew very uncomfortable when she remembered something that was said earlier in the conversation. "Hey Steven... how did you know that Bill was connected to Weirdmaggeden?"

"What do you mean? You told me when you started talking about how your brother found in the journals or something. And you just described him a moment ago." Steven answered.

"No. I mentioned the journals." Mabel admitted. "But I didn't specifically say how Bill was connected to Weirdmaggeden until later. Bill was summoned by a crazy guy that stalked me all summer, and nearly killed my Grunkle Stan, me, my brother, Uncle Ford and everyone Gravity Falls. So tell me the truth Steven- did Bill bring us here?"

"Mabel-" Before Steven could cancer, one of the wooden bed posts on Mabel's canopy bed came loose and knocked her over the head. She slumped forward, and was soon in prone position. "Mabel!" Steven stood up and tried to shake her. "Mabel!"

Lion suddenly growled, and immediately curled himself around the children. Steven didn't realize it at the time, but he had started shedding tears and quickly began wiping them away. He swallowed hard and looked up to see none other than the cartoon triangle himself.

"Hey squirt! Shooting Star's got smarter than the last time I saw her!" Bill rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She actually managed to figure out it was me! Honestly, if you told me that nine months ago I wouldn't have believed it."

"Bill." Steven interrupted. "You lied to me... how could you have done that to Gravity Falls? How could you keep something like that from me?! No wonder you didn't want me talking to Mabel about you! She would've told me what a rotten guy you are! Is that why you brought her here?! For revenge?!"

"You never asked about Gravity Falls. You were in a different world, so it obviously wasn't relevant to us!" Bill shrugged. "It'd be like you caring if the Diamond Matriarch blew up their Citadel if they thought it was full of traitors!"

"That's different! And besides, I would never want innocent Gems to get hurt!" Steven yelled. "And answer my questions! Why did you bring Mabel here with me?! What's the point of all this?! You said if I came to visit you- I could meet my mom!"

"No. I said that if you wanted to know the truth about being the chosen one for the Crystal Gems, then all you had to do was come visit me. I just didn't say how long your visit had to be." Bill explained. "Don't worry! When I'm ready to make a deal, I'll let you know. As for why I brought Mabel here... well I thought you'd get along. I mean, you're both the overdose of sugar in your respective groups!"

"Bill... what are you?" Steven asked carefully.

"I'm me of course!" Bill declared proudly. "I was made by someone awhile ago with no emotions or sense of consequence that transpired onto me! I LOVE what I am!"

"Okay." Steven tried to think of something else. "What if I make a deal to send Mabel back to her family? If she doesn't want to be here, then she shouldn't have to say."

"Doesn't work like that kid!" Bill shrugged. "Bedsides... don't you like your easy-peasy lifestyle here? All you have to do is put up with it a little longer, and you get what you want! Including meeting the highly mysterious Rose Quartz!"

"I guess..." Steven sighed. "Why would you do that to Gravity Falls?"

"Cause I wanted to!" Dipper shrugged again. "But don't worry. I have no intention of do that to Beach City! I didn't bring Mabel for any reasons like that! You may not like it in here that much now, but you can get whatever you want! This bliss isn't gonna last kid- you better start asking for stuff before you have to return home. You know- the land of unanswered questions. Besides..." Bill paused. "Have I not been your friend? Why would I ruin that now?"

"I guess..." Steven looked over at Mabel. "What do I tell her when she wakes up?"

Bill's flippant response only furthered Steven's fears, "If she does remember- I don't care. But if she doesn't- keep your mouth shut! We had a deal after all!"

/

After Peridot and Lapis arrived back with the news, Pearl immediately began going through the old textbook to see if she could identify anything that could be of use.

"So this other human took Steven to this Gravity Falls place?" Amethyst summarized.

"We don't know for sure, but it's currently our only lead." Peridot explained and turned to Greg. "Do you know where this place called 'Or-'ee'-gone' is?"

"Sure I do, but it's all the way on the West Coast. I played a few concerts in Cannon Beach and Newport, but... I didn't spend much time out there. Honestly, unless if you go to California- the West Coast beaches are pretty boring." Greg sighed. "I'm trying to remember if I ever took Steven there, but I can't say that I recall."

"Is there anyone from Or-ee-gone who would want to hurt Steven?" Lapis asked.

"No. Like I said, I don't think Steven's even been there. It's far away, there isn't much to see there unless you're in California, and it was too expensive." Greg answered.

"Was there an angry fan that became a celebrity stalker?" Amethyst asked, recalling some of the TV shows Steven and Connie watched behind Pearl's back.

"I can't say that I've ever been that famous." Greg chuckled, rubbing the back of head sheepishly. "But what about this other human that Sapphire mentioned? What did he look like again?"

"As I said before: an organic being seemed to be male with a tall lean structure, gray spiking hair, and some form of white cloak with sleeves." Peridot described the reports. "Does that match the description of any other humans from your memory?"

"Sorry. I don't know anyone who even remotely looks like that." Greg shook his head. "What else did those reports say? That he had a portal gun thing? If he has something like that, why would he need you guys or Steven? Couldn't he just build the stuff himself?"

"We don't know the answers to any of this information, so the first thing we need to do is head to this Gravity Falls location." Pearl stated. "Since there obviously isn't a warping pad, we'll have to collect the geographical locations manually."

"Dude. How are we supposed to do that, when Sapphire and Ruby can't fuse." Amethyst indicated to the pair with her thumb behind her, to which Sapphire was at least back on her feet. Ruby as still at her side, helping her steady herself. "Without Garnet, we don't even know if we'll end up in the right location!"

"Which is why I purpose we go to the Moonbase." Peridot suddenly spoke up. "As I explained to Lazuli, we need to collect field data on the atmospheric nature of the Earth's spaces to determine when exactly the data spikes occurred, as well as what may have caused it. As much as I like the idea of a quick and efficient rescue, we're obviously dealing with a human that requires caution."

"What are you saying?" Amethyst didn't like the sound of this.

"I am saying that we have two reasons to go the Moonbase- to analyze the Earth's data, along with any other relevant information, and to collect the exact coordinates of Gravity Falls. Or did you forget that particular feature?" Peridot explained.

"I still say Steven's rescue should come first. You won't have a time limit on your research then!" Lapis argued.

"Peridot's right." Pearl sighed, surprising everyone in the room. "Steven does need rescuing, but we're not doing him any favors if we end up captured because we were careless. We need to investigate first."

From the couch, Ruby bit her lip and asked, "What do you think Sapphire?"

Squeezing her partner's hand, a warm glow emitted with her beautiful smile. "Yes."

Meanwhile, Greg shifted nervously and asked, "So, where does that leave me? I can't exactly go with you to the moon."

"... You can't come with us Greg." Pearl stated, not looking at him.

"Well I know I can't go with you to the moon, but once you guys get back-"

"No. She means not at all." Amethyst sighed, knowing everyone else here was in agreement. "You understand right Greg?"

Clenching his fists, Greg snapped. "No! Steven is my son, and he needs to know that I haven't forgotten him! No matter where he is... You guys may have raised him to be part of the Crystal Gems, but make no mistake- he's my son. And I'm not staying put and doing nothing. I will go with you to save my son! Rose's son!"

"Greg..." Ruby tried.

"No! Besides, I've been in plenty of dangerous situations with you guys before! Remember when I got kidnapped by a Diamond?" Greg pointed out.

"We're not saying you're not tough dude." Amethyst stated.

"Then what?!" Greg exclaimed.

"Because you'll just get in our way." Pearl's words cut worse than her sword. "I know you want to help Steven, but what will you do if you get captured or even worse-tortured- in front of Steven? We don't know the nature of the enemy we're dealing with, so bringing along anyone who isn't needed will be a hindrance."

"Hey, you can't keep us back." Lapis frowned as Peridot nodded.

"We won't." Pearl affirmed. "Both of you will most likely be needed- with Peridot's intelligence and Lapis' control over water. But Greg... the best way you can help Steven is staying here, waiting for him to come home. If you were the last person he confided in before his disappearance, then you'll definitely be needed in the place that's supposed to be his home. You're the ONLY other human that knows Beach City is Steven's home... don't underestimate your importance."

At this point, Greg was crying though he was sure Pearl wasn't fairing any better. He couldn't help but feel bitterness towards the ballerina-like Gem- Pearl had always considered him weak and fragile compared to the Crystal Gem. Even though their relationship had improved recently, Greg couldn't help but feel a little animosity.

"I forgot my son... I have to make it up to him." Greg explained quietly.

"As did the rest of Beach City, which is why we need you to stay here and make people remember Steven. Show them that tape, and make them remember what a vital member Steven is to their society." Pearl smiled sadly. "Part of why Rose Quartz chose you is because you taught us how to make Earth our home. It may have been our shelter and sanctuary for thousands of years, but it didn't become our home until you came along. You helped use integrate with the town's people, to truly understand Earth life, and showed us the beauty that Rose saw in this planet every day. Rose chose you for a reason Greg... don't disappoint her."

Clenching his fists and swallowing a giant lump in his throat, Greg looked up to the Crystal Gems and nodded. "Tell Steven that a big hug and jam session are waiting for him, when he gets home."

/

Dipper took a breath as he took in the giant dimensional gate his Uncle Ford set up- it somehow looked even bigger than last time. He had a taste of other worlds thanks to Weirdmaggeden, and he wasn't exactly excited for more. As he and the others looked at the gate, McGucket was punching in a bunch of numbers and letters- getting it ready for transport. As exciting as the prospect of peering at different worlds was, Dipper just wanted to find Mabel and he had no idea how he was going to do it.

Adjusting his backpack, Dipper smiled fondly down at the little pig. Waddles barely left his side since Mabel's disappearance, so he was probably just looking to Dipper for comfort. Petting his head, Dipper knelt down to his level. "Don't worry Waddles, I'm gonna get Mabel back." The pig oinked, and shoved himself forward into Dipper's arms. Dipper hugged back, but then stood up and adjusted his back up. He had triple-checked to make sure the journal and VHS tape were in there- snacks and refreshments could be somebody else's responsibility. Funnily enough, it was usually Mabel.

"So... we ready to go?" Dipper asked.

"Just a few more minutes." McGucket answered.

The boy sighed and turned to the group in the room, some of these people were the last people Dipper expected help from and others were people he least wanted to request. Robbie and Tambry he had nothing against it was just random, while Gideon and McGucket were no surprise, Pacifica might as well have been recorded in one of the Journals. Speaking of which, where were the other two? And why could McGucket remember Mabel but his Grunkle Stan and Uncle Ford couldn't?

"Hey kid." Dipper turned to his Grunkle Stan. "You sure you're up for this? Me and Ford can probably rescue this sister of yours on our own?"

"If you can't remember her name, you obviously don't remember what Mabel looks like. You definitely need me to come along." Dipper replied.

"What about the rest of the yahoos?" Stan indicated to the group behind him with his thumb. "Other than Ford, should any of these guys go with us?"

"Why are you asking me?" Dipper rose a brow.

Stan rubbed the back of his head bashfully, "Look kid... I may not remember having a great niece named Mabel, but I do remember two things: one- twins run in the family and two- you're pretty good at this supernatural detective stuff." Noting Dipper's look of surprise, Stan continued. "You figured out almost everything about the journals even with me running interference, and handled yourself pretty well with the Gravity Falls weirdness- and Bill too. So if you say you have a sister, then I believe you. I mean- you haven't steed use wrong before."

"Thanks Grunkle Stan." Dipper smiled. "You really think I'll make the right call here?"

"It's gonna be me or Ford in this case." He gestured to the man, who had been readying different ray guns and other weapons. The man had enough weapons to fill an armory, and his expression said even that wouldn't be enough. "So your call kid- who makes the A-team?"

"What's the A-team?" Dipper asked.

"TV show that existed long before Cartoon Network decided to show nothing but Teen Titans Go." Stan sighed. "Even before the days when kids had a reason to great up on Saturday mornings, and eat cereal until noon in front of the television. And nothing but non stop action and hardy laughs were on the tube! Ah the good old days..."

"Uh... Grunkle Stan." Dipper interrupted.

"Right Sorry." The old man stopped his rant. "So, who's it going to be?"

Dipper bit his lip slightly, mulling over his thoughts. Even though this was a big decision, Dipper came to his conclusion pretty quickly. "It's gotta be you and Ford- no one else."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY DIPPER PINES?!" Gideon shrieked. "YOU ARE NOT LEAVIN' ME BEHIND!"

"Gideon..." Dipper tried.

"You are not leavin' me behind, while my princess needs savin!" Gideon continued. "It's my turn to be the hero, Dipper Pines!"

"If that's all you can think about- then I know I've made the right call!" Dipper snapped. "This isn't about being a hero, or cool, or any other cliché archetype! This is about saving my sister, and getting life as we know it- back to normal!"

Everyone went quiet at the boy's outburst, and waited for someone to speak. Surprisingly, it was Soos who spoke up afterwords, "Come on dude... we've been on a lot of adventures together... bring us with you."

"Uh... we haven't." Robbie spoke up.

"Yeah... I'm good with staying here too." Tambry nodded. "What about you Wendy?"

The red-head scratched the back of her head thoughtfully. "I don't know... I mean it sounds awesome and can't be any worse than Weirdmaggeden."

"Yes it can. It will be worse." Ford rubbed his temple. "I still don't like the fact that you and Stan are going, Dipper. It should just be me and Fiddleford."

"Ain't nothin can get me to go see that mad man again. Besides, you need me hear to bring you back!" McGucket clearly had no intention of going to begin with, and everyone knew he was right. "Dipper's makin' the right call. Bigger party might not be the best idea, and we need everyone here in case another Weirdmaggeden hits us, or worse! Ford... you and Stan are just the muscle and guide in this! Dipper needs you two- just you two!"

"So it's cool if I stay here?" Wendy clarified.

"Young lady, your coolness will be needed here! You're the only one here who can shoot a bow, shoot a gun, know Apocalypse training- why, you're the most useful one here!" McGucket laughed.

"Hey, what does that make us? Chopped liver?" Robbie complained.

"Basically." Tambry sighed. "But seriously, we'd be no help and we're good manning the home front."

"I'd still like to go!" Soos raised his hand.

"No Soos." Stan spoke up. "You're needed to man the Mystery Shack while I'm gone. I left you in charge, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Soos saluted. "Don't worry Mr. Pines! I won't let you down!"

"Right..." Stan then looked at Gideon, who was now staring at the dimensional gate. "You're stayin' here Gleeful."

"I'm going." The boy ignored him.

"No! You're stayin here!" Stan argued.

"You need me! I'm the only one who knows the Journals as well as Dipper and Ford!" Gideon argued.

"And as we've established, this goes beyond the Journals!" Ford yelled. "We don't even know if Bill's involved! This may be all of Rick's doing! In which case, the fewer chances of casualties we have- the better!"

"It's not fair!" Gideon exclaimed.

"And neither is forcing yourself along in this adventure, probably just be one giant liability!" Stand snapped.

Gideon immediately went silent, and turned away from the group. As Dipper watched the interaction, he couldn't help but feel bad and looked down at Waddles- who still hadn't left his side. He looked at the pig and couldn't help but smile- of course he remembered Mabel. It was because of her, Waddles was saved from Pacifica. Dipper couldn't believe his parents thought that he would've sought out the pig himself to save, much less agree to take him in. But that was the power of Mabel- she won people over, whether they wanted to like her or not.

Smiling, he pet Waddles head and walked over to Gideon. "I don't expect you to understand my decision and that's okay. I need to make sure as many people are here as possible in case this is Bill and we do have another Weirdmaggeden."

"It's all been said before, Dipper Pines." Gideon glowered.

"Yes, but I just thought of the most important job of all and Mabel will appreciate it the most- trust me." When he got Gideon to turn around, he continued. "It probably won't make her your girlfriend, but it will definitely make her like you and she'll owe you big time."

"What's the job?" Gideon asked.

"This little guy," Dipper gestured to the pig beside him, petting Waddles head. "Waddles is probably more important to Mabel than any boy band posters or jerky unicorns... he's her baby. And sense none of these guys are gonna have time to watch Waddles- or accidentally kill him in the case or Robbie and Tambry, and I honestly think Wendy's family will eat him- it should be you that takes care of Waddles while we're gone."

"...Her baby?" Gideon hesitantly pet the pig, who nuzzled his hand in return. "You are a cute little fella, aren't you?"

"So what do you say Gideon? Take of Waddles for Mabel?" Dipper held out his hand.

Looking at the hand, Gideon swallowed a lump in throat and shook it, "Promise me you'll bring her home, Dipper Pines!"

"I promise." Dipper smiled.

A sudden loud sound screeched through the room, and everyone turned to see McGucket firing up the dimensional gate. "You ready?!" McGucket yelled to the three Pines men.

Looking at his two uncles, Dipper tried to calm the anxiety and nerves he was feeling. The gate was just as intimidating as the last time he saw it activated, with his pulse seeming to merge with the electricity surges. Adjusting his backpack, Dipper walked towards the gate.

"Hey wait, little dude!" Wendy yelled, causing Dipper to stop and look at her. Without saying anything else, Wendy took off the signature cap Dipper had given to her after Weirdmaggeden and switched it back with the hat she gave Dipper. "For good luck dude. You ready?"

Adjusting his old pine tree baseball cap, Dipper smiled, "As ready as I'll ever be."


	10. Setting Sails for the Uncharted

**Hey guys! So this chapter's fairly long, but it will finally bring the two universes together. However don't expect any real interactions until next week. However, some of Steven's behavior will be explained in this chapter. Also, thanks for the reviews, I always appreciate them but if you guys could... could you please use somewhat accurate grammar when you write them? I get that trying to sound like Rick is cool and all, but I can barely read them or understand what you guys are saying- so please use clear sentences.**

 **Also, Rick is still not appearing for another few chapters but there is a good reason for this- Rick is so f-ing awesome that he takes over the story, so I need to time his entry perfectly- and I promise it'll be worth the wait. In terms of the time-travel concern someone had, don't worry, there are issues with timelines in this story but there is no actual time travel involved. As for the VHS tapes and Pacifica, it'll be explained later on too.**

 **Without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

Bill had never really questioned his existence much. He was created by a man who wanted to see his intelligence and madness personified. He recalled the man stating something along the lines of: _"Seriously?! This is the illustrated-concept of my mind?! A fuck(burp)ing cheap Illuminati reference?! Gah! I need to stop taking bets when I'm drunk... on second (burp) thought- no I don't."_

This man, who single handedly created sentience and had the power of life itself had the nerve to complain about his physical makeup. Seriously, Bill didn't ask to look like this. But he couldn't complain about it either, the simplicity of his form made people trust him. Bill remembered opening his eyes in a glass flask, and initiating conversation with the man named Rick Sanchez:

 _"Hey buddy! It's not like your a work of art either!" The triangle snapped. "So the greatest mind in existence creates a God, and all he has to say is that I'm a cheap cultural reference? Don't make me laugh!"_

 _"Watch it! You're not just a God! You're better than that- you're supposed to embody my knowledge and potential or (burp!) whatever!" Rick rolled his eyes. "Which is why you should be like Godzilla or something! Or an undiscovered wild alien species! Just really- a triangle! If I ever do this again, I'm creating a sketch first."_

 _"So the great Rick Sanchez doesn't like looking at his reflection! You know I'm only like this, cause of you right?" Bill argued. "The form I take now is what you are buddy- an unsolvable puzzle unable to let anyone in, while keeping a God's eye on everything cause of severe trust issues!"_

 _"Shut up! You're annoying me... And I'm like this cause I'm awesome bitch!" Rick walked over, to adjust some kind of weapon- most likely an anti-matter gun._

 _"So that's it? You're just gonna destroy a God without taking it for a test drive?" Bill rose a brow._

 _"Hell no." Rick said. "To pass the time I experiment with shit, to pass the time and to tell authority figures to fuck themselves. Besides... I want to see how it'll go. You're my potential... right? So I want to see how Rick, I really am. Also, you're name's Bill- too lazy to come up with anything else."_

Afterward, the man released Bill without a word and they haven't spoken since. In fact, before he met Ford Pines- Bill hadn't met any other humans period. Sure, he had made friends with various characters across the multiverse. Like Ford Pines, they didn't take him seriously due to his cartoonish appearance- Rick had sketched him arms, legs, a cane, and top hate for good measure before releasing him from the flask. But they learned fast, and Bill soon learned that he could take advantage of people very easily.

As much as power as Rick gave Bill, there were certain limitations the scientist implemented that drove the triangle mad. Such as the limitations regarding humans, while he had endless access to anything even half human through their dreams, Bill couldn't actually influence anything unless if he could convenience them to let them into his world, and even then there were limits! For example, he couldn't take over someone's body unless they made a deal and he couldn't leave Gravity Falls!

Of all the questions Bill had for Rick, that was the primary one. Why would a man who created him to be a reflection of his potential want to limit himself? Had Rick implemented a safeguard in Gravity Falls? Or had that been Ford's doing? And what about the Zodiac? Was that an odd formula Rick came up with, or was it someone else? Bill didn't know, but he would soon- he would find Rick soon, but for now- he could contend with revenge.

After Bill was fried inside Stan's brain, he thought he was a goner- Rick would probably dismantle him himself if he knew that Bill lost to such a simple man. Bill knew Rick had created a back-up version of him, but he had no idea Rick had stored him in cracks between the multiverse. It was essentially throwing him down an icy crevices in Antarctica, knowing there was no way he could get out on his home. It took Bill awhile, but he managed to emerge. But he'd be ready- he came upon a wonderful opportunity in the form of Steven Universe:

 _Bill had been in enough dreamscapes to know he was in one- it was the first thing he could pull himself into after clawing his way out of the deep butt-cracks of the multiverse (another thing Rick was going to pay for). While Bill knew he was in another version of earth, he had no way of determining which one it was until he entered a dreamscape. And boy was he surprised when he came across this one! According to the mental catalog Rick stored in his mind, this universe's version of earth had been nearly overtaken by an alien race called Gems, and the Gem War had driven Homeworld out._

 _Bill knew Rick came here a lot for the advanced technology of Homeworld, so it was a relief to know this universe contained humans. But he wasn't in the mind of just any human- it was the son of the Rebellion Queen herself- Rose Quartz._

 _Wondering through the fairly intense dream, the boy seemed to be having a nightmare, he found the half-human called Steven confronting the dream version of his mother- along with several other figures that seemed be haunting him._

 _"Please! Tell me what I'm supposed to do?!" Steven shouted. "We're scared and I don't know how I'm going to save everyone! I'm not you! I don't know what to do! Please come here! They're coming! Homeworld's coming!" The boy was crying in hysterics at this point, with the sky darkening at the same time- spaceships then appeared and were preparing some kind of weapon. Bill recognized it as one of the Diamond's ships- Yellow Diamond specifically._

 _Sighing, Bill approached the boy and did a quick wave of his hand to dissipate the nigthtmare. "Hey now Steven! It's not the end of the world yet!"_

 _"What?!" Steven snapped out of his gaze, to look at a cartoon-like triangle creature look at him. "W-Who are you?! Oh geez- are my nightmares making money come to life?! Dad has those occasionally! I just need to spend you before the world ends!"_

 _As Steven tried to pick up Bill, the triangle slapped his hands away. "The world's not ending you dolt! Look!" Bill presented Steven with a clear sky, with them now in front of a calm and quiet beach similar to one at the Crystal Gems' beach house. "Honestly! We're inside your mind! Take more imitative!"_

 _"W-Who are you...?" Steven asked again, getting to his feet. "And why are you inside my dream?"_

 _"The name's Bill! And you're Steven Universe- the man whose going to save Earth! But I'm getting ahead of myself!" Bill shook his hand._

 _"How do you know my name?" Steven asked hesitantly._

 _"I've entered your dreamscape Steven- I know all of your immediate thoughts!" Bill answered. "And what I'm here to do- is make your life easier!"_

 _"Are you another creation by my mom?" Steven inquired._

 _"Oh no! I have a completely different origin!" Bill answered._

 _"So what are you doing in my dream?" The boy asked._

 _"Like I said- to make your life easier!" Bill repeated._

 _"How? Are you here to help fight Homeworld?" Steven asked._

 _"Not exactly." Bill couldn't care less if he was honest. "I'm here to help you specifically, since you're the earth's last hope!"_

 _"W-What do you mean?" Steven asked nervously._

 _"Don't worry, it's not a Chosen One prophecy! I just simply want to help since you're the only one in the Crystal Gems I can communicate with!" Bill explained. "I can only interact with organic life forms like humans."_

 _"Why?" Steven asked._

 _"Because organic species like humans put stock in mythical being like Gods, while Gems really don't have much use for those sorts of things!" Bill explained._

 _"Okay... so are you in contact with any other humans?" Steven asked._

 _"Nope! You're my only client!" Bill replied cheerfully. "Now! Want me to help you with your Homeworld problem? All you have to do is make a deal with me!"_

 _"...I don't know. I know this is a dream and everything, but Garnet says I shouldn't talk to strangers- even in my dreams!" Steven explained hastily._

 _"Oh... what if I were to prove to you it wasn't a dream?" Bill asked._

 _"How?" Steven asked._

 _"In order for me to do anything in your world, you have to make a deal with me. You get something, I get something- sound good?" Bill asked._

 _"I guess... but what are you gonna ask for?" Steven asked._

 _"In this case?" Bill put a finger on his non-existent chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... how about you agree to visit me tomorrow night? We'll play any game you want! One game and you go home! Win or lose! Sound good?"_

 _"I guess... so what do I get?" Steven asked._

 _"Since this is the proof-of-concept stage- better start out small!" Bill answered. "Take food for example- is there a discontinued snack food your mouth waters for?"_

 _"Well... there was a flavor of Cookie Cats that was canceled." Steven answered thoughtfully. "Ok! I'll come and see you if you get me a bag of Green Tea Cookie Cats!"_

 _"You know that I know that flavor never existed right?" Bill asked exasperated._

 _"I know. But it sounds delicious!" Steven smiled and held out his hand. "So do we have a deal?"_

 _"It's a deal!"_

Even though the deals Bill granted started out very small, they built up over time and it only took him a month to gain Steven's trust. The sheltered life he lived had prevented him from learning any valid life experiences, which may have made him more street savvy. Bill almost considered it pathetic that Steven trusted him- the boy's desperation was near nauseating. Then again... the gullibility attached to hope and desperation is what Bill loved about humans- it made them so easy to trick.

When the time finally came to abduct Steven, Bill was shocked at how easy it had been. For Bill did not offer for Steven to come with him- Steven asked if he could.

/

Pearl kept taking deep breaths as she and the other Crystal Gems walked through the Moonbase, ignoring the imposing figures of the diamond pictures as they walked. She remembered going up these stairs with Steven with that particular Ruby, who was sent to Earth looking for Jasper, where it came out that Rose Quartz shattered Pink Diamond. Even thinking back to that time made Pearl feel what humans described as nausea- while she held no resentment towards her old master, she was certainly happy to be empowered by Rose Quartz. Really, the only regret was how the Gem War started.

"You okay Pearl?" Ruby asked, who was still balancing Sapphire on her back. "We know this place is hard for you and all..."

"I'm fine. Thank you." Pearl smiled sadly. "We need to focus on finding Steven."

"Agreed. Which is why this database will be most helpful." Peridot concurred.

"So, what are we looking for exactly?" Amethyst asked.

"Peridot said something about the Earth's atmosphere being disrupted or something." Lapis tried to recall.

"If I can determine when and where the atmospheric data shifts, I can confirm when Steven was abducted." Peridot clarified and smiled at seeing the familiar control panel. "Here we are!" The short green gem wasted no time and began typing in keys, while the Gems eagerly waited for the Peridot's answer. After a few seconds, Peridot spoke again, "I'm canvasing data going as far back as 60 days or 1440hrs, and I'm seeing the Earth's data shifting at the 30 day mark. At this point, the Earth's atmosphere seems to be... splitting." Peridot frowned in confusion as she watched the animation on the screen.

"Splitting? Like the earth split in two? Wouldn't we have felt that?" Amethyst scoffed.

"Not physically but..." Peridot typed in more data to get a closer look. "In analyzing the exact hour and seconds the shift started, my data shows that the Earth's rotation temporarily slowed for approximately five whole seconds."

"So?" Amethyst asked.

"You don't understand." Peridot frowned. "The Earth's entire existence is based on its rotation- this allows for natural phenomena such as weather, waves crashing in the ocean, gravity, seasons changing, and even the flow of time. If the Earth really would've slowed its normal rotation, we would've felt that and catastrophic disasters would most likely have occurred across the planet."

"So what does it mean then?" Lapis asked.

"It means that something, or someone, had interfered with the Earth in such a way that it caused permanent infractions with the planet's existence. Which means my initial theory about time-line disruption was correct. This may have produced consequences that may not even be theoretically possible," Peridot continued, clicking away form the animation and pulling up a different file.

"You thinking the human Sapphire saw did this?" Amethyst asked.

"I don't know... I'm going through this planet's archives to determine if any such human was present on Earth during the time in question." Peridot explained.

"What about Steven?" Lapis asked, getting impatient. "I thought we also came here to look up where this Gravity Falls place is?"

"I can pull up a different screen, Lazuli." Peridot made a hand motion, and a map of the United States was soon visible. After a moment of searching, the map came up with an inconclusive result.

"Hey Peridot." Ruby spoke up. "There's something wrong with the map."

"Hm?" Peridot looked and was surprised to see the map stating 'ERROR', indicating there was no such place as Gravity Falls, Oregon. Peridot frowned and focused in on the map, and was baffled to see that there was a something called the 'Oregon Vortex' and there was a town called 'Big Foot', but no Gravity Falls.

Before Peridot could investigate the map further, Pearl yelled, "Peridot! Look!"

Quickly shifting her attention back, Peridot and the other Crystal Gems were stunned to see a certain archive file. Peridot had left the thing to automatically sort through different files and had landed on this one, Peridot quickly tapped the file before it could be passed. "Um... Pearl, Ruby, Amethyst, and Sapphire, if you can hear me... does this file seem right to you?"

As the Gems were reading it, they couldn't help but allow their shock to overtake their faces- this file stated Rose Quartz was the leader of the Crystal Gems but that she was SHATTERED in the last battle for Earth. Pearl remembered that battle- that was the fight where she went to the landing pad in the ocean where she found Lazuli's mirror. She remembered going back to her beloved Rose Quartz and confirming Homeworld forces were gone. Rose Quartz lived happily with her and the others until she met Greg, which ultimately resulted in Steven. There was no way thousands of years worth of memories were false!

"Peridot... this isn't right. This is most definitely not right! What is this?!" Pearl shrieked.

"I don't know! I'm seeing this archive file for the first time as you are!" Peridot stated.

"Peridot! I was there in the last battle! Garnet was in the last battle! And most of all- Rose Quartz was in the last battle! It was through her leadership we saved Earth, so don't you dare let this piece of gem tech tell me that Rose Quartz died in that battle!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Pearl... Peridot's not doing this on purpose." Amethyst said gently. "Open the file, maybe it'll tell us something useful."

After a moment, Peridot sighed and opened the file and noticed a video clip. "Do you... wish to watch it?"

Ruby looked at the others and nodded. "We need to."

 _Rose Quartz sighed as she cut through different enemy gems and felt herself growing weary. This was the final frontier, the battle for Earth- she could feel it! She could tell Yellow Diamond was pulling all the stops for this round, as some of Homeworld's most elite warriors were here. While she was exhilarated, she was tired and she had been separated from her comrades. Cutting through another wave of weaker gems- mainly Rubies- Rose Quartz leaned on her sword to catch her breath and took the opportunity to look around herself._

 _Just then, two Topazes rushed her and sent her flying into a nearby tree. Rose Quartz felt the impact crack the stump, but quickly recovered and stood up. Suddenly putting her shield in front of her, she swung her sword at the Jasper that took the second rush._

 _"Rose Quartz... I've been looking forward to this." Jasper growled, and swung her fist at the gem leader._

 _"Can't say I feel the same. So many admirers, so little time..." Rose Quartz smirked._

 _"Ugh!" Jasper swung again, put Rose Quartz parried and pinned Jasper to the ground. Noticing the enemy had her sword pointed at her nose, Jasper growled. "Do it! Shatter me like you did Pink Diamond! I'll be an inspiration to Homeworld like her!"_

 _"Inspiration? That's amusing... I didn't think the Diamond Matriarch allowed for such free thinking?" Rose Quartz was about to stick her sword through, but was suddenly shoved off of Jasper and found herself restrained by the two Topazes from earlier. Even with their strength, Rose Quartz knew she could overpower them-_

 _"I wouldn't do that if I were you Rose Quartz..." The pink gem shuddered in recognition of that particular voice. This war was really forcing Homeworld to call upon their best if an Aquamarine was on this planet. Glaring, she glanced up at one of the smallest gems Homeworld had to offer. Looking closer at where Aquamarine was pointing her enhancer wand, her eyes widened considerably. "No..."_

 _"Oh yes... while you put up an impressive performance. Your comrades are not so experienced..." Suspended in mid-air were the gems of the Crystal Gems: Pearl, Ruby, and Sapphire. "They put up the good fight, especially the fusion, but they ultimately allowed their emotions to get the better of them. Shame they were so careless really. Then again it's your own fault... letting a Pearl fight."_

 _"Pearl is not weak." Rose Quartz stated._

 _"Come off the sentimental feelings... I too am a gem not meant for battle, and I accept it. My role is tactician and support for the Diamond Matriarch, while Pearls are decoration for the higher gem classes. It's nothing to complicate matters over." Aquamarine waved her hand. "Speaking of complicated matters... I suppose this one's resolved. Guess we'll be taking you back to the Diamonds."_

 _"No!" Jasper suddenly jumped in. "Rose Quartz already shattered My Diamond! We can't risk her shattering the others."_

 _"True, but regulations dictate there must be a trial." Aquamarine stated. "Besides... the Diamonds have already ordered her capture."_

 _"Trial?! She shattered Pink Diamond! We're beyond trials at this point!" Jasper shouted and turned to Rose Quartz. "I'm going to shatter you... but not until after I shatter each and every one of your Crystal Gems. Hand me the Pearl- she seems to be Rose Quartz's favorite."_

 _"NO!" Rose Quartz nearly threw the Topazes off. "Please! Let them go! Shatter me and let them go!"_

 _"Interesting proposal, but holds benefit for us." Aquamarine shrugged. "You're not in a position to be making offerings Rose Quartz."_

 _"...But think of the praise the Diamonds will give you upon your arrival!" Rose Quartz pleaded. "If you return to Homeworld with me or my Shards- you will be forever in the Diamonds' favor. This planet and the rest of the Crystal Gems... they'll mean nothing in comparison to the Diamonds."_

 _"I still fail to see why we can't just shatter your comrades along with you," Aquamarine replied. "In fact... I've always wondered what that felt like to shatter a gem. I've always hatred Pearls for their luxurious positions as companions- while I have to actually perform duties." In a simple motion, Aquamarine manipulated the Pearl gem into her hand and examined it. "Real delicate isn't it?"_

 _"NO!" Rose Quartz suddenly broke free in a burst of fury, jumped on top of Jasper, and swung at Aquamarine. While she missed the small gem's body, she break the enhancer, which resulted in her comrades being dropped. In another motion, Rose Quartz ran over to them and picked them up. Whistling, she ran forward from the enemies and awaited for faithful pet to appear._

 _In just a matter of seconds- the wormhole appeared and Lion jumped out. "LION!" Rose shouted and threw the Crystal Gems to him. The big cat managed to jump and catch them in his mane. "RUN! GO!" The big cat seemed hesitant, until the Topazes caught up with his master and held her down once again. With a growl, Lion turned its back and ran back into the wormhole._

 _The relief Rose Quartz felt couldn't be put into words, and barely felt it when the Topazes lifted her from the ground and marched her towards their commanders._

 _Aquamarine was still reeling from her enhancer being destroyed, while Jasper was seething as essentially being used as step stool. After a moment, Aquamarine spoke: "It seems as though you were right for once Jasper. Rose Quartz is too dangers to bring to Homeworld. The Diamonds will surely understand certain decisions had to be made."_

 _"Heh... I'm going to enjoy this." Jasper smirked._

 _"Topaz... hold Rose Quartz in place." The two did as they were told, and had Rose Quartz arms sink into their side- effectively holding her in place on both sides. "And be sure to catch the shards... I don't want any remaining." Turning to the lager gem, she said: "Whenever you're ready, Jasper."_

 _Without another word, Jasper walked up to Rose Quartz and looked at the two Topazes. "Make her kneel. I want to see Rose Quartz truly defeated before I shatter her!" Doing as they were told, the Topazes lower Rose Quartz so that she was forced to bend the knee. Using her finger to make Rose Quartz look at her, Jasper said: "Tell me one thing before I shatter you... why did you shatter Pink Diamond?"_

 _"...She was going to shatter Pearl." Rose Quartz answered._

 _"Tch! Even your excuse is deplorable!" Jasper motioned her fist backwards and swung. A sickening crack was heard throughout the mountain range they were fighting, and time truly did seem to stand still._

 _Even though the impact hurt. Nothing hurt more Rose Quartz more, that she could not confirm that she liberated Earth._

After a few minutes, stunned silence was the only response the room after the video ended. Peridot quickly scanned the text with the video for context, and was surprised to see that the Diamonds had backed off from Earth after Rose Quartz had been supposedly shattered. This seemed uncharacteristically forgiving of her previous Yellow Diamond mistress. Apparently the Diamond Matriarch deemed Earth a lost venture after the Gem War, and that the planet's resources had been completely depleted already. Did that mean there was no Cluster under the Earth anymore?

"That's not what happened..." Lapis spoke up, her voice was also shaky. "I may have been trapped in a mirror, but there's no way that's correct! I heard Homeworld War Council Meetings, I was interrogated over this- the Gem War did NOT end this way!"

"I don't doubt your account Lazuli. As I said- the time-line infractions most likely caused these upsetting changes." Peridot nodded and looked at the others. "What is your take away...?"

"This is messed up man... I don't even know where to begin." Amethyst was fisting her hair in frustration.

Meanwhile, Ruby was too busy worrying about their other comrade. "Pearl... are you okay?"

"Pearl... I'm just a Pearl..." Pearl had tears streaming down her face as continued to mutter. Seeing Rose Quartz being shattered in such away... practically because of her, was too much to bear. It reminded her of what kind of gem she was- a gem meant for decoration, to be seen not heard, to be nothing but a status symbol for an elite gem. While Rose Quartz helped her through that mentality, seeing this video practically reverted her.

SLAP! "Pearl! Snap out of it!" Amethyst's hit was enough to snap Pearl out of her daze. "I know this stuff is bad, but it's not real! If it was- then Steven wouldn't even exist and we never would've met Lapis or Peridot!"

"...Right..." Pearl nodded.

"But what does it mean?" Lapis asked. "Peridot...?"

"The archives state that this file is indeed true... which leads me to believe we are all either suffering some kind of delirium or we are in a time-line of Earth in which Steven never existed." Peridot concluded. "Considering it's unlikely for us to be all conjointly suffering the same hallucinations, we can conclude we entered an alternative time-line! This would also explain Sapphire's condition!"

"Ok... if that's true, why does Greg remember Steven?" Amethyst pointed. "We also still have Steven's stuff in his room!"

"I don't know! I'm sorry everyone! But I truly don't know why this is happening! I don't know how to explain Steven's disappearance or any of this!" Peridot clutched her head.

"Peridot..." Lapis put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out somehow... You're the reason we got this far."

"Guys! Something's happening!" Ruby suddenly spoke up, sounding happy. "Sapphire's starting to feel better and she's saying something!"

Intrigued, Pearl managed to ask: "What?"

The two gems suddenly merged into Garnet, who was still holding her head but was definitely better than she was previously. As much as the Crystal Gems all loved Garnet- none of them cold remember a time where they as happy to see her as they are now.

"Garnet!" Amethyst smiled. "You're okay now?"

"To a degree..." The tallest groaned. "We have company..." Garnet suddenly turned towards the teleportation pad in the Moonbase, causing the others to do so as well.

Suddenly, a bright spec of light appeared in the center and started growing steadily. Eventually the spec of light became a circle, and morphed into a group of three human-like forms. When the light settled, the Gems were surprised to see three humans- one child and two adults, all males. As the two groups stared each other down, neither party was sure what to make of the situation.

The humans seemed to be just as perplexed as the Crystal Gems, with the boy hesitantly asking: "Uncle Ford... are we in the right place...?"

 **AN: For anyone upset about the Crystal Gems flashback scene, please note that they are still trapped in the ALTERNATIVE timeline in which Rose is shattered- it's necessary for the story. If you have any questions, leave it in a comment or review! Thanks everyone!**


	11. Skull and Crossbones Mark the Spot

**Hey guys! So it's finally here! The chapter where the groups officially converge! Sorry it took so long to get here, but the little details scattered throughout the story needed to happen! They will become relevant later on! As for the question brought up by CriticWriter, I honestly don't know if the Rick Citadel will be involved. Probably not, but I wouldn't discount it yet either. I hope you guys like this chapter, and make sure to leave a review or comment if you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

Dipper wasn't entirely sure what to expect with multidimensional travel, but he didn't expect the universes to be so normal looking. For example, here he and his uncles were, in a sci-fi moonbase of some kind, face to face with colorful looking aliens. They all looked to be female, and not nearly as terrifying as the creatures he encountered in Weirdmaggeden.

"Uh... Uncle Ford... are we in the right place...?" Dipper looked towards Ford uncertainly, with his uncle peering around their location and looking at a radar device.

"No... but Sanchez was definitely here at some point." Ford replied putting away the device. "My meter is supposed to track significant cosmic energy levels, but it can't actually determine what the phenomena is caused by."

"Great! So we're being forced to walk through these weird places blindfolded! Nice plan Ford! We're going after a mad man, and we don't even know if the messes we're walking into are his!" Stan complained.

"AHEM!" The men stopped their bickering and finally turned their attention to the other occupants in the room. They definitely weren't human, but they were less alien looking than some of the species Ford encountered too. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Uh... Sorry ma'am. We were looking for someone else, and guess we took a wrong turn." Dipper explained apologetically.

"You're humans right?" Amethyst spoke up.

"Yeah... it's kind of hard to explained but we came from a completely different world, from this place called Gravity Falls and-"

"GRAVITY FALLS?!" The female aliens yelled.

"Yeah. What's it to yah?" Stan asked suspiciously.

Peridot immediately got out the book she and Lapis found. "It was mentioned in this book! Gravity Falls in this place called 'Or-ee-gone'!"

"First off, it's Oregon. Seriously- how do people come up with these weird pronunciations? It doesn't even have an 'e' at the end. Second off- how in the heck do you have one of Uncle Ford's journals?!" Dipper exclaimed and reached into his backpack to pull out the first one. In doing so, he failed to notice something else had fallen out of his backpack.

"Journal?" Peridot repeated. "I recall Steven recommending keeping a journal when I first became stranded on Earth."

"Wait- there's also an Earth here?" Ford asked.

"Well duh! Which orbit do you think this moon belongs to?" Amethyst rolled her eyes.

"Moon..." Dipper ran to the nearest window and was stunned to see the purple alien women as right. "Guys! She's right! We're on the moon! And there's Earth! It looks like the one we're from!"

"Slow down!" Pearl yelled. "Who are you people and how did your journal get here?!"

"I-I don't know!" Ford sputtered. "Please calm down!"

"Wait..." Pearl walked closer to Dipper, making the boy back up- also making him realize just how tall she and the other aliens were. Pearl picked up the item Dipper had dropped and analyzed it. "Where did you get this?"

"We found it with the journal..." Dipper answered carefully, backing away slowly. "Do you know who Nora is?"

"As a matter of fact I do... we all do." Without another word, Pearl reached into her gem and pulled out her sphere. Stand and Ford immediately pushed Dipper behind them when they noticed the other aliens were doing the same. In the same even tone, Pearl continued. "Nora was the name of a very special human child our leader, Rose Quartz, brought into existence at the expense of her own. Instead however a precious boy was formed... where is he? Where's Steven?!"

"We don't know any Steven." Stan gripped his brass knuckles tighter. "What about you?! Why do you weirdos have the second journal! Where's Mabel?!"

"Whose Mabel?" Lapis whispered to Peridot.

"No idea." Peridot muttered but then spoke louder to address the strange humans. "Pardon me, but did you humans use some kind of portal gun device to get here? One of you exhibits the piece of fabric similar to the reports I've read, and you traveled to the moon without any form of transportation. So please make this easier for yourselves and give up Steven."

"We don't know what you're talking about!" Ford yelled, readying his ray gun. "I don't have a portal gun- just a space disruptor! We don't want any trouble!"

"Then tell us where Steven is!" Pearl yelled.

"ENOUGH!" Garnet's yell was enough to disrupt the entire room. "Honestly... we just managed to fuse ourselves back together, and you're all making our headache far worse than it has to be. These humans are obviously not our enemies, and as difficult as it is... we'll have to accept the fact that they don't have Steven. But... they will be of significant help to us."

"Garnet..." Pearl lowered her weapon, as did Amethyst while Lapis dispelled her water back into wings. "Are you back to normal?"

"Not at full capacity, but we're recovering at a steady pace." Garnet explained and turned to address the strange humans. "You humans are: Dipper Pines, Stan Pines, and Ford Pines- nephew and twin uncles respectively."

"How'd you know our names?" Dipper rose a brow.

"I am Garnet. Current leader of the Crystal Gems, and we seem to have a mix up of possessions here." Garnet explained and took the journal from Peridot's hands and carefully picked up the Nora VHS tape on her way. Walking over to the men, she noted they still had their weapons up- understandable, considering they had a younger family member to protect and her comrades were essentially at their breaking point.

To Garnet's surprise, the boy took the initiative and stepped out from behind his uncles. He was still clutching the first journal, and welcomed the weight of the second one when the tall woman stacked it in his arms. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Smiling, Dipper spoke, "Hi... I'm Dipper Pines like you said. We're from Gravity Falls, where all these weird sci-fi supernatural events happen all the time and I think the most recent one took my sister away. And for some reason- we ended up getting your VHS tape and you somehow got one of our journals. That probably means that Steven and Mabel's disappearances are connected, so we should probably work together to save them." After a brief moment of silence, Dipper pleaded, "Please... she's my sister."

Rubbing his head, Garnet smiled. "We are the Crystal Gems, and we always save the day, cause we made Earth our home. One of our most important members went missing, his name is Steven Universe- will you help us find him?"

/

After introductions were all said and done, both parties were thoroughly acquainted with each other and had exchanged different theories about what may have happened to Steven and Mabel. The group agreed they didn't have much to go on but did agree on two things: they needed to find Rick Sanchez and the abductions of Mabel and Steven were connected.

They were still on the Moonbase, forming a strategy for when they were going to approach Rick. But there was something still very prevalent in Pearl's mind that she needed addresses. "Ford Pines was it...?"

The man looked up in surprise. This was the first time Pearl spoke since the discussion began, and was curious what she wanted to ask. "Yes."

"With the interference of this 'Bill' character or Rick Sanchez- does this mean that the past as it is now, is not the past that truly transpired?" Pearl asked and reiterated. "What I'm trying to ask is: can we trust any historical records in our universe, as it is now?"

"That depends..." Ford rubbed his chin. "You said you found the VHS counterpart to ours yes? When you watched it- was it as you remembered?"

Amethyst looked down. "That was the first time we've seen it. It was only meant for Steven, yah know? Greg seemed to think it was true though."

"This is Steven's father?" Ford clarified.

"Correct." Peridot answered. "What my comrade is trying to ask is- with this interference of two potential invaders, is it possible that our the time-line of our universe was altered or replaced in some way?"

Ford frowned. "I'm not sure, but based on our own situation- that is definitely possible. Though rather than a replacement timeline enacting, I believe your initial theory of being altered is more accurate. However, whoever did do these alterations failed." Turning to Dipper, he continued. "Similar to us, everyone did indeed forget Mabel Pines existed but there were trace remnants of her in the memories of her in select residents in our respective universe."

"Wait, does that mean Bill or this Rick guy deliberately made it so everyone forgot Mabel and Steven? Why? It doesn't make any sense." Dipper pointed out.

"Agreed, but there's another layer of complexity to Steven's disappearance compared to Mabel's." Ford stated. "Not only did the Crystal Gems remember Steven, but also physical items were left behind indicating his existence like the VHS tapes and his bedroom. Following that logic, your pet pig Waddles should've done the same for Mabel."

"My mom told me that I felt sorry for him and brought him home. And I probably would've saved him from Pacifica, but I wouldn't have gone out of my way to convince my parents to keep him." Dipper explained.

"Uh... context?" Lapis interrupted.

"Sorry, previous adventure. My sister rescued a pig and named it Waddles, and have they've been companions ever since." Dipper explained.

"So it's like Lion." Amethyst smiled.

"Lion?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah. He's a magic pink lion that has a portal to store stuff in, in his mane." Amethyst answered nonchalantly.

"Really?" Stan suddenly asked. "How much money do you think I could get away charging storage prices?"

"Stan!" Ford chided. "Anyways, whatever records you were looking at can be considered false. Clearly someone or something had tried to falsify your universe's history, but failed miserably."

"Thank you..." Pearl sighed in relief.

"I would actually like to continue the discussion on the topic of Rick Sanchez." Peridot spoke up. "As mentioned previously, the majority of our group is from a different planet called Homeworld that had attempted to colonize Earth for its resources. Homeworld has done this before on numerous occasions, but occasionally Sapphires would suffer extreme pain and interference with their visions."

"You said each of your species was gemstones?" Ford clarified.

"That is what Earth languages translate our species, yes." Garnet finally spoke up. "Each gem type has a different role and duty on Homeworld, which is completely run by the Diamond Matriarch. Sapphires hold the power of clairvoyance, and are used to determine the outcome of battles or any other venture."

"Geez... remind me to bring one of those on Poker night." Stan whistled while gesturing with his thumb.

"Shh!" Dipper shushed.

"Anyways, when time-lines fractures or becomes altered in any way of the respective planet- then Sapphires become unable to function. When the future of the planet contradicts the past-"

"Then Sapphires can't see any clear outcome." Dipper finished. "This happened to your Sapphire? Is she okay? I mean, I'm just assuming it's a she at this point..."

"Our entire species is female, so you would be correct." Peridot nodded. "And while Sapphire may take time to recover, she should have her visions resume at full capacity if she remains in her fusion form with Ruby."

"Fusion?" Ford asked.

"We can explain that later, but for now we need you determine if this man from Sapphire's vision is the same 'Rick Sanchez' you're describing." Garnet interjected. "Peridot."

Nodding, she cleared her throat. "While I do not have an illustration of the human Rick Sanchez in question, I can give you a detailed description. According to the reports, he is described as a lithe figure wearing a white coat of some kind, and has spiky gray hair. Oh, and he apparently tears planets apart while using a portal gun-like device. Does that sound familiar?"

"Too familiar. That's Rick Sanchez. No doubt about it." Ford concluded.

"So... what does he want with Steven?" Lapis asked.

"I don't know. Rick's a mad man that I only had the displeasure of meeting for a short time. I don't want to discourage any of you- but there's a good chances Steven and Mabel... may not be salvageable." Ford looked down.

There was a still silence for a moment, before Garnet spoke. "I don't see any outcomes where that would be the case, but Sapphire is still recovering..."

"I'm confused. I thought your name was Garnet." Dipper asked.

"I am Garnet, Sapphire, and Ruby." Garnet smiled down. "And somehow- your presence seems to have stabilized me."

"...You're welcome I guess." Dipper laughed awkwardly. "Um... if you can see the future... can you at least tell us how Mabel and Steven are doing? Or maybe you can see where they are?"

"Sapphire cannot control her visions, but she will speak if anything of relevance is revealed." Garnet answered. "However, I truly do not believe Steven nor Mabel are dead. Before Sapphire began experiencing problems with her vision, she saw Steven in the presence of a friendly human that looked like a shooting star. Does that sound like your sister?"

Smiling, Dipper flicked the pine tree on his hat. "Yeah... that's definitely Mabel."

/

Mabel groggily opened her eyes, and eventually woke up to find herself in her own bedroom. Sitting straight up, she looked down at herself and noticed she was in the same clothes she remembered wearing last. Rubbing her head, she got up out of her bed and walked around her room- everything seemed to be in place: her dresser, her clothes in the dresser, the boy band posters, the distinctive pink and purple furniture, her laptop, and even Waddles' dog bed.

Frowning, she walked over the bed and touched the padding- and couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was still cold, and piratically had no smell at all. This confirmed what Mabel feared when she woke up- what she was experienced wasn't a dream and she NEEDED to find Steven. Going over to her door, she jiggled the handle and was surprised to see that it opened.

To her surprise, she wasn't in a simulation of her house. Instead, she seemed to be in some kind of Air BNB style beach home with a single hallway and several doors to different rooms. Even with the welcoming house, the whole place felt wrong- there were no windows and the place was practically dead silent.

"Hello...? Steven?" Mabel called out and walked down the hall and soon found herself in the main living room of the house. There she noticed a portrait of a beautiful pink woman, the same one simulated from Steven's mind, above the entryway. From there, Mabel noted there was just whiteness outside, confirming her suspicions that she was currently in a prison.

"I'm up here, Mabel." Mabel turned suddenly and saw Steven sitting up in a loft area with his pet Lion. The boy seemed to be distressed, to Mabel got closer and noticed Steven was kneeling in front of his pet. "Something's wrong with Lion... he's been acting strange since you fell asleep."

"... How long was I out?" Mabel asked.

"I don't know... we don't have clocks here, so it feels like for awhile." Steven responded. "I'm worried about him... Lion's... he's not just my pet he's-"

"Family. I know. I feel the same way about Waddles." Mabel nodded, and noticed that the cat had its head down and was in a kneeling position. Taking a chance, Mabel stroke Lion's mane in an effort to calm him. "What is this place Steven?"

"This is what my home looks like in Beach City. Pretty cool huh?" Steven smiled.

"Yeah... perfect beach house style." Mabel acknowledged. "Speaking of homes... I think it's about time for us to go home, don't you think?"

"I can't... I made a deal with someone. Someone or something I really shouldn't have." Steven couldn't look at Mabel.

"Bill." Mabel figured. "What did you get in exchange for coming here Steven?"

"I haven't gotten it yet. Bill told me if I came here, I could meet my mom and that the Crystal Gems would be safe." Steven explained.

"Don't trust Bill, Steven! Whatever you were told, don't believe him! Remember what he did to Gravity Falls! Don't think he won't do the same to Beach City, or anywhere else! That's what he actually wanted, yah know! To turn our whole world into his playground!" Mabel exclaimed.

"I knew it was a risk! But I had to! I couldn't take the pressure anymore! It was too much!" Steven exclaimed.

"What was too much?!" Mabel yelled back.

"EVERYTHING!" Steven's sudden outburst caused Lion to groan. Steven pet Lion in apology, and continued. "The situation in my universe got to be too much. And then Bill came to me in a dream and started visiting me regularly. To prove he was real... he made small wishes come true, and I would come visit him for games in my dreams in return. And when I found that VHS tape addressed to Nora, and... and- I couldn't take it anymore! I don't know anything about myself or my mom, or why she made me!"

"Steven! You're not making any sense! You had to know believing Bill was a bad idea!" Mabel exclaimed. "He's not a genie! Bill makes deals, and you CAN'T get out of them! Don't you get that?!"

"I don't expect you to understand Mabel, bu Bill does! I knew he had the answers I needed, that's why I went with him!" Steven explained.

/

Steven knew this time was gonna be different when he saw Bill tonight.

The triangle's knew something was up- the boy's dreasmcape was dark and depressing even by Bill's standards. That was when Bill noted a gym bag with Steven- along with being accompanied by a pink lion. The protective relic from Steven's mother.

"You hitting the road, Jack?" Bill snickered, and didn't even flinch when Lion ran straight through him.

"Lion! Be nice!" Steven sighed and pet his fur. "Sorry... he likes following me into dreams sometimes."

"I gathered. So what's with the duffel bag, kid?" Bill inquired.

"Bill... I know you can do stuff somehow, but I need to know... how far can you go?" Steven asked quietly.

"Depends on the request." Bill shrugged. "Bu keep in mind, the deal has to match the weight of the favor. The balance of justice and all those rules."

"Yeah. Hey Bill... if I were to ask you to prevent Homeworld from attacking Earth, could you do that?" Steven asked quietly.

"Sacrificing yourself for your loved ones, how noble!" Bill inwardly vomited at the boy's stupidity. "But it's gonna cost you big!"

"I don't care." Steven stated firmly. "It's all my fault Homeworld's on the attack, and I just want it to stop. I don't want to lose anyone..."

"So you take yourself out of the picture?" Bill scratched his chin. "That could work."

"What do you mean?" Steven wiped some tears from his eyes.

"If you agree to be my playmate in this dreadfully boring place, then I'll prevent Homeworld from attacking Earth!" Bill clarified.

"So if I stay here with you... Earth will be saved?" Steven clarified.

"Yep! What do you say Steven, do we have deal?" Bill reached out his hand.

"Deal!"

/

"Steven... I'm sorry, I had no idea you were under such pressure." Mabel said sadly. "We can talk about it, but we gotta get out of here first."

"No. It's not that simple and we can't leave. Otherwise, everyone in my world will be in danger again. With me gone, the Diamonds will have no reason to go after Earth." Steven explained.

"You don't know that, Steven! The Crystal Gems need you! My brother and my family need me!" Mabel argued. "Bill is the last person you should trust to keep anything safe!"

"He's kept his promises so far! And besides, why would he help me then? If he's as selfish and destructive as you say he is- then why did he find me in the first place?!" Steven yelled.

"I don't know! And I don't want to find out! I thought I was done with Bill when-" Mabel suddenly stopped her rant, realizing something. "Steven... why was I brought here?"

Steven looked away in shame. "I don't know... I asked Bill if I could bring a friend to visit me, cause I was getting lonely. When you arrived, I was pretty confused- I didn't know you and Bill kept saying no do-overs. He said that we could probably get along."

"And you don't think it's weird that he brought me, of all people, here?! With you?!" Mabel pressed.

"It is! But I can't change that!" Steven yelled. "But what I can change- is whatever purpose my mom forced on me!"

COUGH! COUGH!

Their arguing suddenly ceased, when they head Lion coughing. Not fazed but drool and fluff, Mabel went to fetch some tissue to start cleaning- Waddles was clean and tidy but he was still a pig. But as Mabel started picking at the massive blob, she noticed something heard in the middle. Wiping it clean, her eyes widened at the unfamiliar object.

"Steven...?" Mabel spoke.

"Yeah?" Steven asked, wiping his tears.

"What is this thing?" Mabel held up the object, making Steven jump back a little. "What? Lion coughed it up in the hairball. Whatever it is, it's heavy."

"That's... how?! She was in the Burning Room!" Steven yelled.

"What?! Steven, what's wrong?!" Mabel yelled.

"That's Bismuth... she's a former Crystal Gem! She was bubbled because she went crazy against my mom!"


	12. Prepare for Battle

**Hey guys! So here's the next chapter, but I wanted to clarify something: Steven DID watch the Nora video. In this fic, he disappears after he talks with Greg about the VHS tapes. Also, I apologize for how Steven is so angsty in this fic. It wasn't my intention to write him that way, it just kind of happened. I'm basing Steven's mood off of how frustrated he was this past Steven Universe season, and how reckless he was with Blue Diamond in regards to Greg's abduction. He'll probably get better later on in the fic, but probably not for awhile.**

 **As for this chapter, Bismuth wakes up and has a pretty intense encounter with Mabel and Steven. This chapter's pretty intense in general, but the last part of this fic was pretty emotional to write. So I hope you guys enjoy it! Leave a comment or question in the reviews, if you like!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

Garnet was so relieved that she was back together, that Sapphire finally could see clearly again and could merge with Ruby. Garnet honestly wasn't sure how much longer they could have tolerated to be separated, and had no intention of separating for awhile. The fusion knew the timing was no coincidence, as the arrival of the Pines human family had somehow unified the discrepancies Sapphire was experiencing.

Clearing her throat, the tallest Gem spoke. "So this 'Rick Sanchez', is the one that Sapphire saw in her visions?"

"Yes." Ford nodded. "Based on what Peridot said, the Sapphires most likely experienced vision difficulties because of the uncertainties Rick introduced to each universe's timeline. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason why a Sapphire's vision is accurate is because it is the ONLY outcome laid out before her?"

"Correct." Garnet nodded.

"That would indeed explain the symptoms, and why they resolved after they returned to Homeworld." Peridot agreed.

"Yeah about that... is there really a whole planet of talking gemstones like you gals?" Stan asked, which earned him an elbow nudge by Dipper.

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper hissed and then laughed apologetically. "Sorry... we're not as well traveled in other universes as Ford is."

"It's fine. Homeworld isn't anything to be impressed by anyways- unless if your on the receiving end of their weapons." Lapis shrugged. "Some of which would be useful in saving Steven?"

"Going to Homeworld is impossible." Pearl stated.

"Yeah Pearl... there are literally human beings from a different universe in our Moonbase- I think the word 'impossible' doesn't really apply here anymore." Amethyst stated.

"Besides these guys obviously have some portal device, couldn't Peridot just program it to go to a weapon's arsenal on Homeworld?" Lapis indicated to the Pines men. "I say we go in, grab as many weapons as we can, and go save Steven! And whoever that other human is."

"That is... not entirely insane Lapis." Pearl replied and looked down at Peridot. "Would you able to do that?"

"I would have to analyze the technology first and run a series of trials before considering, but I suppose since these invading humans came to our respective universe, adjusting their device should not pose any difficulties." Peridot rubbed her chin and turned to Dipper. "Tell me, what was your scientific method of teleportation?"

"Well first off, we're not invaders- we're here to save my sister, and second- I have absolutely no idea. Ford is controlling the universe hopping through his watch." Dipper admitted.

"Very well." Peridot turned her attention to the man. "You will work with me to adjust your device, so it can accommodate our trip to Homeworld. I agree with Lazuli and Pearl's sentiments- we will most likely need a greater arsenal."

"I don't know if more advanced technology would help us or not, actually." Ford interjected. "With Rick, his intelligence is so high that he most likely has a disruptor for any weapon from your Homeworld or on Earth. As crazy as this sounds, our best bet it to try and reason with Rick- if we go in guns blazing, then he'll vanquish us- period."

"No." Pearl replied bluntly. "He abducted Steven and your Mabel, he is our enemy and we need to be prepared."

"Agreed, which is why I'm telling all of you that entering his territory with weapons drawn is basically suicide." Ford bluntly matched.

"Geez Ford... isn't this guy just a mad scientist like you and McGucket?" Stan asked.

"No- he's far beyond that. Sanchez is far beyond any intellect I have ever known or met- he taught me about portals, infinite timelines, infinite universes, the multiverse- everything that would only exist in a science fiction novel. Do you know why he taught me this knowledge, Stan? Dipper?" Ford asked.

"Why? I thought you agreed to be his experiment." Dipper asked.

"He was bored." The answer clearly surprised everyone in the room, but Ford continued. "This man did want to use me for his experiments, but it wasn't in the pursuit of science or a great discovery- Rick was bored. Pure and simple. This man has the power to create and destroy anything he wants, and cares for nothing but his own indulgences. All of you need to understand this- Rick Sanchez is a sociopath. He abducted Steven and Mabel most likely for the simple reason of seeing our groups come together, or maybe for something less."

"So why wouldn't we go in with what the worst Homeworld has to offer?" Pearl gritted out.

"Life means nothing to Rick Sanchez- which means that if we arrive looking for war, he'll annihilate use before you even have the chance to use whatever abilities all of you have. This also means that he would kill Steven and Mabel without any hesitance, and would most likely do that in front of us for an added touch."

"Geez Ford... how the heck could yah get mixed up with this nutcase?" Stan asked.

"As I explained before, I was in a desperate situation and was desperate for more knowledge- I was impulsive and stupid, and I paid a terrible price. The same will be here, if we do it your way Crystal Gems." Ford pleaded.

Amethyst bit her lip and asked: "You said something about reasoning with this guy right? If he's as insane you said- why would talking it out even be an option?"

"Because he wouldn't see as a threat, and would therefore hear us out. As dangerous as he is, you can normally placate him if you allow him to be the one with the power in a situation. I'm not sure how this conversation will go, but I'll prepare myself for what's to come. This time, I'll volunteer to be a guinea pig or-"

"We're not leaving without you, Ford." Stan bluntly stated. "You got stuck out in the multiverse before- not gonna happen again."

"What do you suggest I do then?!" Ford exclaimed. "I have nothing else to offer!"

"Enough!" Garnet interjected. "It won't be necessary. Sapphire's visions don't indicate he'll need anything from you."

"Wait! You're getting visions?! How's Steven?! Has that Sanchez guy done anything to him?!" Lapis yelled.

"From what Sapphire sees... Steven nor Mabel are there. We seem to be talking to Sanchez, but that's all Sapphire can see before feeling pain. Our guess is that this man purposefully distorts his universe to prevent enemy attacks?" Garnet asked.

"That sounds like Rick." Ford sighed. "Does it look like we're discussing things civilly at least?"

"From the little we saw, violence seems to be a highly unlikely outcome." Garnet answered. "Everybody... I understand your anger and your frustration, but entering a fight we're clearly outmatched in with violence would abruptly end our journey. We need to follow Mr. Pines' lead."

"Fine with me." Amethyst shrugged.

"If the odds of our survival are that low, I would very much side with reason." Peridot nodded.

"I'll go along with it. But if he does anything to Steven in front of us- I'm drowning him." Lapis warned.

"...How can you be okay with this?" Pearl growled.

"Pearl..." Garnet sighed.

"No! This man altered our universe to make that disgusting archive exist! Essentially discrediting the rebellion! And making Rose Quartz shatter in such a way! Don't you dare tell me to approach this reasonably!" Pearl clutched her head.

"Pearl...?" Dipper spoke quietly, and then turned to Garnet. "What's she talking about?"

"The Crystal Gems were originally a rebel army led by fearsome Rose Quartz, and essentially forced Homeworld off Earth. While the rebellion ended in victory for the Crystal Gems, we had sustained heavy casualties and had to accept the natural consequences of war." Garnet answered. "A video archive essentially discredited everything we fought for, and disgraced out leader in the worst way. Among us, Pearl was closest to her... even loved her."

"Stop Garnet." Pearl growled and reached up to the gem on her head, pulling out a lance. "Let's find Rick Sanchez and rescue Steven! We can't stand around like this anymore!"

/

Steven couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at metallic gem Lion had just coughed up, and couldn't help feel like he was being suffocated. How and why did Lion swallow Bismuth?! What was she doing here?! Did Bill also plan for this?!

Meanwhile Mabel was just as confused as Steven, poking the gem curiously. She didn't understand what Steven was freaking out about- yeah it was a lab created material, but it wasn't going to kill them or anything. Besides, his pet most likely just swallowed the material out of boredom or hunger. If he was worried about his cat getting sick, it was most likely resolved now.

"I figured you'd get hungry eventually." Mabel petted the big cat. "Now do you see that this place is bad news?! I mean- your lion was so nervous he ate a rock!"

"Lion couldn't have got that from anywhere in here! I didn't bring any of the Crystal Gems with me- let alone Bismuth! Oh no... is Jasper in there too boy?" Steven was on his knees, practically hyperventilating.

"Uh Steven... you're not making any sense. It's just a rock. He'll probably throw them back up like this one." Mabel reassured.

"You don't understand!" Steven snapped. "That's not a normal piece of Bismuth! That's a living being!"

"Okay... I think you've officially been in here too long." Mabel said awkwardly.

"Didn't I explain what the Crystal Gems were?! This is what happens when their stones become damaged- they revert into them!" Steven explained and the gem suddenly started glowing, forcing Steven to feel the familiar sensation of a Gem about to take form. "Oh no... why?!"

Mabel got behind a chair nearby, and was in awe at the scene before her- the glowing Bismuth piece had started floating and started taking the form of a broad figure. When the light eventually faded, a blue skinned woman with rainbow hair had appeared. Mabel noted she was much too tall to be human, and found her blacksmith apron and overall appearance very cool.

The girl also had to admit that even with all her experience with Weirdmaggeden, she found the Crystal Gems idea a bit farfetched- especially with the way Steven described them. So to actually see one in person was incredible. She couldn't help but feel privileged, overwhelmed, and excited- it was a whirlwind of wonder and amazement. 'This must've been what Dipper felt every time he discovered something supernatural.'

"What the?!" The Crystal Gem's voice brought Mabel out of her stupor. Mabel's breath caught when the Gem turned to face her, initiating a staring match. Neither of them said anything at first, and were clearly trying to determine whether or not they were in the presence of an enemy. Remembering what Steven said about the Crystal Gems, Mabel slowly got out from behind the chair.

"Are you a Crystal Gem?" Mabel asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. What about it?" The Gem rose a brow.

"Hi! My name's Mabel Pines, I'm from Pidemont, California and am in my second year of middle school! I don't like school but I love my pet pig Waddles, and REALLY want to get back home!" Mabel stuck out her hand. "What's your name?"

"Uhh... Bismuth." The gem answered awkwardly, slowly reaching out her own hand and was surprised to see the human girl shake it. "...Of the Crystal Gems. I take it you're not an enemy and that we're not on Homeworld or Earth?"

"No! Definitely not! Although, I don't know where we are either. I doubt it's Earth though." Mabel answered. "Look... I'm not entirely sure what's going on around here, but I've essentially been kidnapped with your friend Steven and-"

"Steven?" Bismuth interrupted and started looking around. "Steven Universe is here?"

"Yeah. He's the one who told me about the Crystal Gems." Mabel looked around too. "Though it was weird... after Lion spit you out, he started really panicking for some reason. Seriously, with what we're up against- we'll need all the help we can get. Speaking of which- Steven where are you?!"

"Probably hiding? Not too different from Rose- always hiding behind something." Bismuth's expression hardened. "You said I was spit out by that pink cat?"

"Well a Lion, but yeah." Mabel was growing nervous. "Steven didn't know he swallowed you."

"I bet." Bismuth snorted and started looking around the room, and after finding nothing under the bed or desk- she moved on to the rest of the house.

"Uh... where are you going?" Mabel asked.

"Looking for a coward." Bismuth said without looking at her.

"Wait you mean Steven?! What are you going to do to him?" Mabel bit her lip.

"Something I should've done the moment I met him, and something you don't need to concern yourself with." Bismuth narrowed her eyes down the hallway. Mabel's eyes widened and blocked her way in the hall, making the girl realize just how large the Gem was compared to her. Bismuth narrowed her eyes, "Move."

"No! You have to listen to me! Me and Steven were kidnapped to this weird place by a Triangle demon-god thing, and we need to work together to get out of here!" Mabel explained.

"Then I'll free us after I take care of this." Bismuth pushed Mabel aside slightly, before continuing forward, only for Mabel to get in her way again. "I'm not telling you again- move."

"Listen! Whatever your mad at Steven about, I need you so somehow put that aside for now so we can figure out a way to escape from here and get home!" Mabel pleaded again.

"Put it aside...?" Bismuth gritted, and suddenly slapped Mabel to the side. Bismuth wasn't surprised when she saw Rose's room open and pull Mabel in- it was only logical for Rose to return to her sanctuary. "You're normally smarter than this Rose... I'll say this- you're a better comrade than her, but you're only a fraction of her intelligence. You got lucky the last time we met!" Bismuth laughed. "And this time... I'm not making any mistakes." Bismuth morphed her arms into hammers and started pounding at the door.

Meanwhile, Mabel was rubbing her cheek from the impact. That wasn't the first time she was hit by someone, but she could swear that those darned unicorns kicked with less strength than Bismuth.

"Here." Mabel saw that Steven was sitting beside her, holding an ice pack. "That's gonna leave a mark. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Mabel sighed, nursing her cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you about that Crystal Gem."

"I panicked and left you out there alone with her, knowing she was mad at me." Steven said evenly.

"Yeah... what's she so mad about anyways? I thought you said the Crystal Gems fought to protect Earth and stuff?" Mabel asked.

"They did." Steven nodded. "But... they lost a lot and are forced to remember it occasionally. Bismuth was a memory my mom wanted to leave in the past, because she didn't know how to handle her at the time. Just like how she left the aftermath of the Gem War to me, because she didn't know or want to deal with the fallout. All these issues from the Gem War started with my mom, but all ended up on me- I hate it."

"Is that why you started seeing Bill?" Mabel asked.

"I'm supposed to be my mom's successor, and I barely know anything about her." Steven answered. "And whenever I find out something new about her, it sometimes can turn really ugly. Bill was the only one who told me I could escape it, that I could change everyone's fate."

"Like Bismuth?" When Steven didn't answer immediately, Mabel spoke. "Steven... your lion probably stowed Bismuth away for a reason, and we need to figure out a way to reason with her to get her on our side. But for me to help you do that, you have to tell me what happened between you and her."

"...Just promise me one thing, and I'll tell you everything." Steven said.

"What?"

"Don't compare me to my mom."

/

Pearl was distraught and was refusing to accept the idea of negotiation, when all she wanted to do was find this man and destroy him. She knew she would be violating Rose Quartz's principles, but her son was abducted by him and they could not afford to be soft.

"Pearl! You're not thinking clearly!" Garnet shouted. "Put your weapon away, or we're leaving you here."

"You wouldn't!"

"If it meant insuring Steven's life, that Mabel girl's life, and the lives of everyone here- of course I would, and Rose Quartz would do the same." Garnet pointed out.

Gritting her teeth, Pearl conceded and put her weapon away. "If this man is as insane as Ford says, what would stop him from shattering us all the moment we approach him?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Ford reassured. "Sanchez will most likely be inebriated with some kind of alcohol, so his slow reaction times will guarantee at least some interaction."

"If I have to drink this guy under the table, consider it done!" Stan spoke up.

"That's not gonna help anyone Grunkle Stan." Dipper sighed, and turned his attention to Pearl again. "I want to get this guy too, believe me. But we can't rush in and risk Mabel and Steven's safety, so for now... work with us?"

"Yeah Pearl- be more of a team player!" Amethyst smiled.

"I concur." Peridot nodded. "Larger groups will statistically have an increased chance of victory."

"I'm going along with this since Steven needs help, but I'll be tag teaming Pearl in the first attack if this guy asks for it!" Lapis stated firmly.

Garnet looked around their group, and asked: "So we're all in agreement?"

After a moment, Pearl sighed. "Fine. Lead the way Ford."


	13. Raising the Enemy Flag

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! I don't think there were any questions this week, but thanks for the reviews! They're always great to read! Feel free to leave a comment or question about the story in the reviews! Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and Rick and Morty**

When gems are bubbled, they are essentially put in a state of suspended animation or stasis and have no recollection of outside events until they're summoned again. Bismuth was no different in this regard, so it was reasonable for her to be surprised and suspicious of her new surroundings when she was released again. She was certainly not expecting to meet an unknown human, spouting nonsense about being abducted by a one-eyed triangle monster. It was most likely just another distraction her former leader set up to prevent the inevitable, which would involve forcing Rose to admit what she did was wrong and cost them their comrades.

Bismuth stared at the door that supposedly lead to Rose's room or sanctuary, whether or not this house was real, the doors did not open unless Rose's son gave permission. He had to come out eventually, from what Bismuth remembered humans had to eat and drink substance to stay alive and Rose's room wouldn't have anything like that.

"Come out Rose! We need to talk!" Bismuth shouted, pounding at the door again. "You owe me that much! Our last conversation abruptly ended don't yah think?! So let's go ahead and finish it!"

Meanwhile inside the room, Steven continued to hold his head and tried to ignore the pounding. He had just finished telling Mabel his story with Bismuth, and was bracing himself for whatever she was going to say next.

"So after you bubbled Bismuth, what happened next?" Mabel asked.

"I did what I promised- I told the others everything that happened. Including how mom fought with her and bubbled her without telling them." Steven answered honestly. "They were sad- Pearl could barely believe it, while Amethyst and Garnet were just stunned."

"But they believed you, right?" Mabel asked.

"Well, yeah." Steven shrugged. "I had just come back from under a volcano- I was a little crispy and my foot was burned. It was hard for them to accept, but they did believe me."

"Did they say anything about the lies your mom said?" Mabel asked.

"I didn't have the heart to ask them. With all the secrets about mom, I just chucked this one into the pile." Steven answered. "But I was always curious- just what led Bismuth and Mom to that fight, and just how... it all went so wrong."

"Well, now's your chance." Mabel gestured to the angry Gem pounding at the door.

"No way! We have no way to fight her! I normally have my shield, but I don't know if I can summon it here! And then there's you!" Steven exclaimed. "You felt Bismuth hit you- you know she's not holding back! I can't protect you!"

"I know we can't beat her in a fight Steven, so we have to reach truce before she smashes us into pieces!" Mabel stated. "As tempting as it is to stay in here- Bismuth is trapped in this weird space with us and we'll have to face her eventually. We have to fight Steven... we don't have a choice." Mabel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead and try summoning that shield thing!"

Nodding, Steven lifted his hand and concentrated- it worked to his and Steven's amazement. "I can't believe it."

"Guess Bill didn't know about this either." Mabel smiled and then turned to the big pink car, who had started snoozing behind them. "Hey Lion, I know you aren't feeling great but we really need you." After the cat grunted, Mabel turned back to Steven and asked: "Show me what can this kitty do!"

/

Pearl sighed as Ford and Peridot took final inventory of their weapons stock while the others were just hanging out, and were just anxious to get going. "It'll be okay, Pearl." She turned to her right to see Garnet.

"If that statement were coming from anyone else, I'd yell." Pearl chuckled.

"I know." Garnet nodded. "Sapphire's vision is almost completely restored- I believe Gravity Falls company are to thank."

"Yes... if you say so." Pearl nodded and then frowned. "Garnet... before Sapphire passed out, she had a disturbing vision about Steven and then lost consciousness. She was shouting about a one-eyed triangle. Do you remember it?"

Concentrating for a moment, Garnet sighed: "Yes. It wasn't very clear and I'm having trouble recollecting the images now, but... it showed Steven shaking hands with this being- I do not believe it was Gem or human."

"Why did Sapphire scream though?" Pearl asked.

"This figure was persuading Steven into some kind of arrangement- one that would be catastrophic for everyone if he agreed." Garnet answered. "I do not know the nature of this agreement or what may lead to it- I just know that it may mean the end for Steven."

"WHAT?!" Pearl's shout earned everyone's attention. "Garnet you have to know more than that! Before you said Steven was with something like a shooting star or whatever- is that what's forcing him into this agreement?!"

"Shooting star?!" Dipper suddenly but in. "That's Mabel's zodiac symbol! That means Steven and Mabel are trapped together somewhere!"

"Yes- but Steven's in grave danger!" Pearl shouted. "Are we ready to find this Rick Sanchez or not?!"

"Er yes but Garnet... you mentioned something about an agreement?" Ford asked. "Did you happen to see the person Steven was conversing with? Was Mabel in the vision at all?"

"No... but Sapphire does recall seeing a one-eyed triangle that resembled a symbol seen on Steven's currency." Garnet answered.

All the color drained from the Gravity Falls party members. "Ford... how's that possible?!"

Clutching his bag tighter, Ford sighed. "I don't know- but if anyone could have brought Bill back- it would be Sanchez."

"Hold up- who's Bill?" Amethyst asked.

"It's complicated, but-"

"He's an evil one-eyed triangle demon thing that enters people's dreams, makes deals with them in exchange for doing something for him- so yah know- a supernatural con artist essentially." Stan cut Ford's explanation.

"Uh... what?" Lapis asked.

"He was supposed to have been destroyed in Weirdmaggeden by yours truly!" Stan pointed to himself proudly. "But now your telling me, he's back?! What's the deal with those vision thingies?! You sure they're not still on the fritz or whatever you mentioned earlier?"

"Sapphire's visions were badly distorted due to the interference in this universe, but I'm certain that is what she saw." Garnet insisted.

"Have Sapphire's visions ever been wrong before?" Dipper asked.

"Negative." Peridot spoke up. "Sapphires are renowned and heavily prized Gems on Homeworld for their complete accuracy on outcomes. The only times there are uncertainties is when... well Garnet here first formed... and the human Sanchez's interference. When in fusion form, there a multiple outcome possibilities, but in the case of a single Sapphire- then it would almost be a guaranteed certainty."

"So that means Bill could really be back then." Dipper looked at his uncle Ford. "You don't think Sanchez put Mabel and Steven in the same place as Bill or something, right?"

Biting his lip, Ford replied: "There is nothing I would put passed Rick Sanchez."

"So what does this mean for us then?" Lapis asked.

"We continue with the plan already in place- even if it is Bill, Sanchez is still the best place to start looking." Ford sighed and rubbed his temple. "Let's just hope Sanchez didn't make Bill even worse this time around."

"Yeah going back to this Bill-thing?" Amethyst spoke up. "What's a demon?"

"It's a supernatural entity often portrayed in a negative light in modern human theological practices, but is often presented in a more romantic light in different pop culture references." Peridot explained. "It is essentially a figment of imagination, brought upon by intense boredom, fear, and curiosity of human beings."

"So Steven was kidnapped by someone's imagination?" Lapis asked.

"He was made from the mind of Rick Sanchez, so that's technically true." Ford answered.

"On the contrary- it's most likely just another lifeform you humans are perceiving as supernatural. Pearl, as an honorary engineer, you most definitely agree yes?" Peridot asked.

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore, Peridot." Pearl sighed. "And quite frankly, I don't care at this point."

"Besides... you guys are talking about relying on a Sapphire's visions or whatever. And you're living gemstones, plus Steven is half gem as you explained it, so how is a supernatural entity too far out of the box?" Dipper pointed out.

"That's true- Steven and his abilities have not been explained." Peridot nodded.

"What are you talking about- he get's all his powers from Rose?" Amethyst pointed out.

"True, but we don't understand why Rose Quartz had control over organic plant life. And did she have healing powers?" Peridot inquired.

"Yes. And potentially resurrection!" Pearl smiled.

"Okay, enough! My point is- our enemy isn't too weird compared to whatever else you guys have experienced right? Cause after spending a whole summer in Gravity Falls- I can safely say the weirdest thing I've seen is a flying saucer under the town." Dipper explained. "This is the most incredible, and worst thing, that's ever happened to me- but not the weirdest."

Garnet smiled. "We can safely say the same."

Dipper smiled back, but then frowned. "Garnet... in your visions, can you see if Mabel is okay?"

"She and Steven are fine for now, based on what I've seen anyways." Garnet replied. "But we should move quickly- Ford! Peridot! When will the portal be ready?"

"When I punch in the coordinates, we will arrive at the home of Rick Sanchez!"

/

Meanwhile, Bismuth was getting frustrated with the useless pounding at the door and decided to take a different approach. Kneeling down to the door knob, she manipulated her breath and started heating the doorknob and then quickly started cooling it. Then morphing her arms into a pick-ax, she was about to knock the handle down before being blasted back as the door swung open.

Grunting, Bismuth recollected herself and was surprised to see Rose's son and his human companion riding on the pink lion's back.

"Bout time you came out to face me, Rose!" Bismuth morphed her arms back into hammers.

"Bismuth! I'm sorry for how things happened last time, but I couldn't let you use that weapon and I couldn't let the Crystal Gems see it either! It just didn't feel right!" Steven shouted.

"Yeah? Did you tell the others about Breaking Point?!" Bismuth shouted.

"No... I told them everything else... just not that." Steven admitted sheepishly.

"Of course not! That would be going against your character Rose! Giving your comrades a fair shot of survival, in favor of your principles Rose!" Bismuth scoffed and then morphed her arms into a familiar shape, one that Steven hoped he would never see again.

"No Bismuth... not that." Steven mumbled.

Mabel frowned and squeezed his shoulder. "What is it Steven?"

"The weapon her arms morphed into- it's the weapon I told you about! The one that shatters gems instantly!" Steven quickly explained.

"Yes Rose... the Breaking Point- my greatest creation!" Bismuth chuckled and walked forward "You should be honored Rose, you'll be the first to experience it!"

Bismuth sprang forward, and Lion jumped back and sent a powerful roar her way. The shock waves sent Bismuth back, but she was used to the impact at this point. "What's the matter Rose?! Where's the pretty pink sword I handmade for you?!"

"BISMUTH STOP!" Mabel suddenly shouted. "Steven isn't Rose! You have the right to be upset, but shattering Steven isn't gonna help anything!"

"It'll make me feel better!" Bismuth suddenly charged, spurring Lion to run back into Rose's fake room.

Bismuth followed suit and looked around anxiously, frustrated she lost them in the vast darkness. "Come out you cowards!"

"Bismuth! Steven did what he promised by telling the Crystal Gems! You told Steven he was better than her for that, right?!" Mabel voice boomed in the darkness.

"That makes him different than Rose! But he's still the same coward Rose was during the war, and isn't willing to do what has to be done! She'd rather see her comrades DIE than WIN the war! Do you have ANY idea how many other Crystal Gems were shattered from Homeworld forces?!" Bismuth shouted, with tears streaming down her face.

"I... can't bring them back, Bismuth." Steven sniffled. "I wish I could fix all the messes Mom made, but I can't- that's how I ended up here."

"If you mean that... then call the others here, and tell them about Breaking Point." Bismuth said. "And come out and face me, already!"

"I can't do that." Bismuth whirled around, to see Rose's son and that other human and pink lion.

"Why not?!" Bismuth stalked forward, causing Steven to push Mabel and Lion behind him. "Tell me, Rose!"

"Cause we really are trapped here! I accidentally brought us here, by making a deal with some magic triangle thing and I don't know how to get us out." Steven chuckled nervously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Bismuth replied. "But it sounds like it's your fault we're here!"

"You're right." Steven took a breath and stepped forward. "Bismuth- we'll need eachother's help to get out of here- if I let you beat me up without any resistance, will you agree to work with us?"

"Steven!" Mabel exclaimed.

"No it's okay." Steven insisted. "Please Bismuth... just do what you need to, to stop being mad at me."

The Crystal Gem seemed to be going over the offer in her head, before shrugging. "Not what I had in mind, but it'll do for now." Morphing her arms into hammers again, she walked forward. "You sure about this Rose? I'd prefer you put up a fight."

"Yeah I'm sure... but just me... Mabel and Lion didn't do anything to you, so please... whatever happens, don't hurt them. Mabel certainly didn't deserve that mark."

"You're right, they didn't have any part in it." Bismuth sighed and pulled back her arm. "I'm pretty angry, so you better brace yourself for this."

Steven closed his eyes, and braced himself for whatever punishment would come- until

"LOOK OUT!" Mabel suddenly tackled Steven to the ground, while Lion was growling very loudly again.

"Yikes! That was a close one!" A familiar voice sighed. "Long time no see, Pines!"

"Bill! It really is you! But how?! Grunkle Stan destroyed you in his mind!" Mabel shouted.

"Oh I know! And believe me when I say- THAT'S NEVER HAPPENING AGAIN!" Bill suddenly became huge and red before reverting to normal size again. Then turning to Steven, he sighed again: "Tsk! Tsk! Mr. Universe! Whatever will I do with you?! I mean- fighting a rogue Crystal Gem is crazy!"

Steven was too stunned to respond immediately, he was transfixed upon the former Crystal Gem's fading form- her gem was splitting and cracking. "W-What did you do to her?! Lower her down to me! I need to heal her with my spit!"

"Gross and no! It won't help!" Bill stated. "Her gem will eventually shatter, and you'll be safe and sound again!"

"You can't! Bismuth doesn't deserve this! Please! She's my... she could've been my friend." Steven pleaded.

"Well, I don't know about that- I mean, she DID crash the party here! And she did try to kill you- can't have that now, can I?" Bill pointed out. "Trust me kiddo, this is for the best!"

"No it's not! Let us go Bill! Now!" Mabel glared.

"No can do Pines- you're not the client here!" Bill waved her off. "As for you Mr. Universe- I am at your beck and call! Whatever your heart desires-"

"Save her! Stop Bismuth from shattering please!" Steven pleaded.

"Oooh... stopping the death of any living thing's a doosey in this place! You're gonna have to give me something in return!" Bill stated.

"Steven..." Mabel tried.

"Anything! Just stop her from being shattered!" Steven pleaded.

"Great! It's time for us to make another deal!" Bill reached out his hand and inwardly smirked when Steven grasped his hand.

"NO!" Mabel could only watch as Lion collapsed.


	14. Exchanging Cannon Fire

**Hey guys! Here's another chapter! Rick will FINALLY be making an appearance in the next chapter, and things will really be starting to get serious! Unfortunately, Steven isn't going to get better for the next few chapters, but bear with it- there is a reason! Remember to leave a review if you like the chapter, thanks guys!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

Bismuth groaned as she opened her eyes, and slowly sat up. To her surprise, she was now outside on the beach she had previously sparred with Garnet on. Looking around herself, she saw the two humans tending to the pink lion they had previously been riding. Frowning, she approached them and stood before them- a shadow casting due to her immense height.

"What happened?" Bismuth asked.

"Bill happened. That's what." Steven answered.

"What's a 'Bill'?" Bismuth asked in confusion. "And what's wrong with your pet?"

"I don't know, Bill did something to Lion after I made a deal with him." Steven answered, without looking up. "I made a deal to save your life."

"What?" Bismuth looked taken aback. "You're lying!"

"DON'T!" Steven suddenly shouted and glared up at Bismuth. "Don't ever say I lied about saving you! Not when I had to hurt Lion to do it! I was forced to hurt Lion to save you! Are you happy now?!"

Before Bismuth could say anything else, Mabel spoke up. "It's true. Bill was the one who started breaking apart your gem, and wasn't going to stop. Even though I told Steven it would only lead to bad things, he made a deal with Bill to stop you from being shattered. After they shook hands, Bill dropped you and took some of Lion's powers and left."

"...How'd we end up outside?" Bismuth asked.

"Bill thought we could use fresh air." Mabel scoffed. "This is so like him!"

"You know this Bill thing?" Bismuth asked.

"Yeah. He nearly destroyed Gravity Falls, and almost killed me and my family. My Grunkle Stan almost lost his mind when were trying to stop him- Grunkle Stan's sacrifice saved us all. He trapped Bill in his mind and then destroyed it- and... and... we nearly lost him!" Mabel started crying. "I don't understand how Bill can be alive! Grunkle Stan destroyed him! How-"

"Hey now..." Bismuth knelt down. "You need to start making sense again. So what is 'Bill' exactly?"

"I don't know exactly, but he's basically a demon who destroys worlds once he gets access to them." Mabel explained sadly. "He gains power and influence when you make deals with him- they always sound nice and simple- but he never tells you the whole truth when he makes them. So when Steven made a deal to save you, Bill never told him what he would want in return and even if he did say it had to do with Lion- he wouldn't have said exactly what it was or how much he needed."

"I don't really get it, but he's a bad guy right?" Bismuth clarified.

"Yeah." Mabel nodded and pet Lion's head. "Poor kitty hasn't woken up since Bill took his power."

Bismuth was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I wouldn't panic just yet. Rose Quartz... would get exhausted if she used too much of her organic based abilities or healing powders. So I'm sure whatever this is... it'll be fine."

"Really?" Steven looked up.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Bismuth stood back up, and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "I'm not saying you and I are completely even but... we're good for now." After receiving silence, Bismuth continued. "Rose never would have sacrificed an organic based creation for her comrades. You're definitely not her."

"Thanks Bismuth." Steven sighed and looked down at his gem. "But you saying that doesn't convince me. Recently, I've been questioning everything about my mom and my existence- and I just don't know what to think anymore."

"There really isn't much to think." Bismuth shrugged and sat down beside Steven. "Rose was an amazing leader, she just didn't prioritize the right things."

"Yeah... hey Bismuth... do you know much about the Diamonds?" Steven asked.

"You mean the Diamond Matriarch thingy?" Mabel rose a brow.

"Of course I know them, I was assigned to build an underwater marina for Homeworld scholars when your mom met me." Bismuth frowned.

"Which Diamond was well... your Diamond?" Steven asked.

"Why are you asking?" Bismuth replied.

"Well recently... my friend Connie and I defeated this Homeworld Gem Jasper." Steven began. "I initially thought she was apart of Yellow Diamond's fleet, since she arrived with Peridot and she was following orders from her. But after Connie and I fought her, and then Jasper became corrupted, she said she would never accept help from me because... Jasper said Mom shattered her diamond... Pink Diamond."

Mabel gasped, but then quieted herself down as the two continued.

"That's what I heard." Bismuth shrugged. "I wasn't there for it, but that story is what inspired me to join the Rebellion to begin with."

"Really?" Steven asked.

"Well yeah! She stood up to a Diamond! Rose shattered her own Diamond! Every Homeworld Gem was either inspired or terrified of that story. I was on Homeworld when it happened, and I didn't meet Rose Quartz for awhile. But when I met her, and when she asked all those questions about choice- I was hooked!" Bismuth explained.

"Which made the Breaking Point issue even worse, huh?" Steven asked.

"Well, yeah! I mean, it's okay to do it once and then you never do it again- it didn't make sense!" Bismuth complained.

"Yeah... I was wondering if Mom ever talked about it? Pink Diamond, I mean." Steven asked.

"Nope. As far as I know, the only other person who was actually there was Pearl- and she wasn't sayin' nothin'! And believe me- I asked." Bismuth explained.

"Wait Pearl was there?" Steven asked.

"Of course she was! She started the Rebellion with Rose! You didn't think Rose started it on her own do you?"

"I never really thought about it." Steven admitted. "I don't really know anything about the Rebellion, honestly."

"Well gather around then!" Bismuth smiled and beckoned Mabel and Steven closer. "We need something to do to pass the time!"

/

Bill examined the mass of power between his palms carefully, analyzing the sub-particles and quantum mechanics of the mass. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated for a moment before absorbing the power into his body. Feeling the power jolt back against him a little, Bill concentrated before finally forcing the foreign powder to submit inside him.

"Phew! Took a little more effort than I thought." Bill panted, trying to catch his breath. "Then again- free range dimension hopping isn't easy..." Concentrating again, Bill focused himself and then found himself at the very edges of the alternate space he set up. Rubbing his chin in thought, Bill sighed. "The jump length was decent, but it looks like I'll need to take the entire cat- oh well! Steven's gonna want to make the deal anyways!"

If Bill had a mouth, he'd be salivating! It had been too long since he had experienced true excitement, with his reign in Gravity Falls cut short and all. He had to hand it to the Pines, he underestimated them- but he wasn't going to make that mistake again. Bill knew it wouldn't be long before Dipper and the other Pines discovered their location, and then it would be killing a whole flock of birds with one stone. There was the issue of the Crystal Gems, but their weapons were nothing against his power.

Despite the glee he felt towards his fantasies of revenge, Bill was most excited for the reunion with his creator. That man dared had the audacity to make his own self-reflection of his potential, and he trapped him in a boring universe with nothing to do! Well he showed him! Bill remembered laughing as he blew up the universe his creator placed him in, but then sheer fury when all his creator responded with utter indifference.

 _"Great... you bit through your leash." Rick said, collecting Bill in a flask again. "Now let's see you get through this."_

Rick had just tossed Bill into the many crevices of the Gravity Falls universe, and was severely limited in how he contacted the humans there! To make things even more embarrassing, the only reason he was released was because of a pre-teen stalker that reminded you the problems with mass religion.

Suffice to say, Bill was humiliated by the entire experience. Which was why he was so looking forward to tearing Gravity Falls and its entire world apart! Rick may have put those limiters around the town, but with that pink lion's power- Bill would remake everything!

/

Traveling through universes was exhausting- Ford had punched in several coordinates but none of them landed on the correct universe. The Crystal Gems and Gravity Falls crew had learned several things through this process- there are many different organic lifeforms aside from humans and all had more advanced technology.

While the Crystal Gems had been aware of other life beyond Homeworld for their entire existence, it was still amazing to witness the scope of other species that existed. Most of the Gravity Falls crew seemed to be no better off, as the boy and man with the eye-patch marveled at all the alien creatures.

The only one who seemed to even remotely be in their element was Ford, who seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated over the lack of control he had over universe-hopping device. Ford was eventually forced to pause in their journey, landing them in some kind of spaceship hosting a barrage of different species. He stated he was running low on battery, and had to be certain of Rick's coordinates before making another jump.

While some of them relished this experience: Amethyst, Peridot, Dipper, and Stan- Pearl, Lapis, and Ford seemed to be much more tentative of their situation. Garnet remained neutral, which gave Pearl some relief- if the gem didn't see any troubling foresight, then they were most likely going to land in Rick's place soon.

Lapis sighed and walked over to Garnet, as Peridot and the more adventurous members of their group continued looking at the window overlooking space. "Hey, are you sure we're on the right track? Cause this Ford human, seems like he doesn't know what he's doing."

"We will get to vicinity of Rick Sanchez soon," Garnet nodded. "Most likely before we run out of battery."

"Most likely?" Lapis rose a brow.

"Garnet's visions aren't as specific as Sapphire's- they see multiple outcomes." Pearl said from her seat beside Garnet. "But you're certain we won't run out of battery first, right?"

"I can hear you, you realize?" Ford spoke up, not taking his eyes off his homing device.

"No. We will meet Sanchez soon, and hopefully get some answers." Garnet affirmed.

"Good." Pearl nodded, but frowned when Ford suddenly stopped working and stood up. "What is it? Are you ready?"

"No, but we might want to be." Ford straightened himself as several insect-like creatures in military uniforms approached them.

The Crystal Gems weren't surprised by other sentient lifeforms anymore- but what did surrpise them was that the creatures seemed to recognize Ford, and that there was a human female in the same uniform with them. She had rather attractive features, and was walking with another human-like creature with giant avian wings.

"You there!" The girl seemed to be in charge of the group, as she approached the group with her presumed comrades. "You are Stanford Fillbrick Pines from the universe containing one- Gravity Falls, yes?"

"Yes. Who are you?" Ford asked hesitantly.

"Don't play dumb. You recognize our uniforms and you've worked with Sanchez in the past- you know who we are." Tammy bluntly stated.

"And who are you, exactly?" Lapis spoke up.

"Apologies." The bird humanoid creature spoke up. "Phoenix Person and comrades are members of the Galactic Federation. An organization dedicated to the protection and order of the universe. In exchange for joining the federation, we offer endless protection and resources to-"

"They get it Phoenix Person! They don't need a wikipedia article." Tammy scoffed. "What might you be doing in this region of existence, Pines?"

"We're looking for my niece and their son." Ford simplified it the best he could.

"Son?" Lapis piped in confusion, but retracted once she was ribbed by Garnet. "I mean yes! He was kidnapped with this Mabel human."

"Both of whom were abducted by this Rick Sanchez." Pearl finished.

"Hmmm..." Tammy analyzed the Crystal Gems. "Odd- I don't recognize your species. Stand still please." Taking out a scanner, she quickly scanned Pearl and looked on the data pad. "Interesting- living rocks. Not the weirdest thing out here though- can see why the federation hasn't approached you though. Your universe is more than orderly enough, with nothing to offer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lapis frowned.

"You know? The Diamonds depleting resources left and right and not giving two shits back- so yeah. Not very beneficial to us." Tammy shrugged. "Anyways, you're going to see Sanchez?"

"...Perhaps. We don't know the entire situation." Ford rubbed the back of head, awkwardly.

"HEY FORD! Whose the highschooler?!" Ford had never been so relieved to see his brother in his life, as he and the remaining members of their group walked up to the conversation.

Amethyst was the first to speak. "Hey, whose the human and how's she here?"

"I am Galactic Federation agent Tammy Gueterman, and I was lucky enough to be born in a parallel universe of Earth the Federation had jurisdiction in. Now before an entirely pointless reiteration of the Galactic Federation- tell me where Sanchez is." Tammy got out her gun.

"Whoa- hey!" Stan pushed Dipper behind him, while the other Crystal Gems got on the defensive.

"Wait a minute, please! Who are you?! Why do you think we're helping Sanchez?!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Tammy Gueterman. I was assigned observatory duty to the daughter of Rick Sanchez, should he ever return to his planet. We weren't disappointed." Tammy answered. "We've been observing Sanchez's movements for years, and have taken note of your Uncle's participation with his research."

"Yeah, but Uncle Ford completely regrets it! Sanchez made an evil one-eyed triangle demon that almost destroyed our home! We wouldn't be allies with him, in any way!" Dipper argued. "Besides! He kidnapped my sister and a kid named Steven, we're just going to rescue them!"

"I see." Tammy put rested her weapon, and signaled the others to do the same. "Then perhaps we can be of use to each other."

"I'm sorry, but we can't help you." Ford immediately rejected.

"WHAT?!" Everyone else yelled.

"Ford! Why?!" Stan demanded.

"Because the moment we walk into his house with ANY Galactic Federation equipment or signals, he'll destroy us before we even each the front gate." Ford sighed. "I said maximizing our chances was to make ourselves was to give him the power in the situation, which means not making deals with one of the groups Rick hates the most."

"Perhaps..." Peridot spoke up, Lapis noted Peridot hadn't taken her eyes off the human's gun. "It may be wise to make contingency plans against such a dangerous adversary, and it's possible if we were to have equivalent technology. What is your proposal?"

Smiling, Tammy spoke: "Several months ago we managed to gain the rust of Rick Sanchez, through the guise of his granddaughter's friend and lover to the former Bird Person. Whom is now the nicely obedient Phoenix Person, you see before you. While we did capture Sanchez temporarily, he ultimately broke out and destroyed a significant portion of our organization."

"I thought so." Ford sighed. "I thought I recognized Bird Person. You people might as well be animated corpses."

"You're afraid of Sanchez?" Tammy laughed.

"Yes. We should all be." Ford sighed. "Even if we don't work with you, we're all potentially walking into our deaths."

"Then why not maximize your chances for survival between you and your comrades?" The human girl pointed out, and then snapped her fingers. One of the insects came forward, and presented a tracking radar with an antenna attached. "Based on what we were observing earlier, we can assume your teleportation device is running low on battery. This little homing device can interfere Sanchez's homing scrambler, but it kind of puts us on his radar the moment we enter the universe."

"And if we were to enter?" Pearl spoke up.

"Ever since Rick Sanchez escaped and reclaimed Earth as his home, he has implemented a signal scrambler preventing any oncoming lifeforms from parallel Earths or otherwise." Phoenix Person explained.

'Reclaimed Earth?' Dipper thought.

"What does that mean?" Amethyst asked.

"It means we will be unable to enter the universe where this Rick Sanchez resides." Peridot concluded. "As I understand the proposal, you will give us a device that will directly take us there and provide us with weapons in case we need them?"

"That is correct? Pretty great, right?" Tammy smiled.

"What's the catch?" Stan asked suspiciously. "As an astute business man, I know a con when I see one."

"There's no catch- we just want you to distract Sanchez long enough for us to enter the universe and set up capture." Tammy explained. "You don't even have to do anything beyond what you were originally going to do. You wanted to rescue your sister and son? Fine- we don't care. All we want is Sanchez, and we'd be more than happy to collaborate."

"Seems to good to be true." Amethyst said.

"That's cause it is." Garnet spoke up, and suddenly summoned her gloves. "Apologies, but Ford's right. Any outcome involving you is shown to result in disaster. You'll have to move along."

"Oh really? That's too bad." Tammy raised her gun, with her four insect subordinates and resurrected husband doing the same. "You'll have to come with us, then. The Galactic Federation could always use more research subjects, and Ford- you're family's already here, so the hostage thing is pretty straightforward."

"So is rejecting your offer." Ford glared.

"And so will be defeating you- Crystal Gems Go!" Garnet ordered. Pearl and Amethyst suddenly went to either sides of Garnet, and retrieved their weapons. Meanwhile, Lapis and Peridot stood close to the Pines men to keep them away from the fight.

Dipper stared in awe as Pearl summoned a spear-like weapon from the gem on her head, and attacked the insects with the precision of a ballet dancer. Amethyst was as ferocious as a hurricane, knocking into Tammy and using her whip to snap at each the weapons.

When Peridot noticed the enemies were distracted, she focused all of her energy into the homing device in Tammy's hands and started lifting it.

"What?!" Tammy yelled, feeling the device get pulled away. "Let go, you little shit!"

"Grrr! Lazuli! Some assistance- please!" Peridot gritted.

Lapis glared and used her water wing to swipe at the woman to drop the device. Peridot managed to levitate the device to them, and then shouted. "FORD PINES!" The old man looked up as the Crystal Gem threw him the portal device. "Tap in the coordinates!"

"R-Right!" Ford hastily began to analyze the device and began his configuration. "Cover me!"

"Of course!" Peridot grabbed Dipper and Ford's hands while Lapis grabbed Stan's, and had them jump behind some of the tables of waiting area of the terminal. Peridot's eyes widened when she noticed something hazardous though- the terminal they were in was primarily made of glass and metal, and their fight was causing cracks.

As Crystal Gems, they had no problem surviving in different atmosphere and she was certain that Tammy human was donned in appropriate survival technology- but she knew the Gravity Falls humans were not!

"Lazuli!" Perdiot got her attention and pointed at the glass. The others looked too, and their eyes widened.

"Ford- hurry up!" Stan yelled.

"I'm trying- this technology is far beyond what I'm used to." Ford huffed.

"You better figure it out quick, Uncle Ford cause the cracks are getting bigger." Dipper said. It was then he noticed various alarms in the space terminal were going off, with all the aliens around them evacuating into escape pods and what not.

Luckily, Garnet noticed this too and yelled: "Amherst! Pearl! We need Opal! I'll cover you! Peridot- keep the metal constricted around the glass until then!"

Biting her lip, Peridot tried to focus on the metal beams and rivets holding the structure of the glass in place and tried to prevent it from loosening any further. "Hurry!"

Meanwhile, Tammy smirked and shouted: "Phoenix Person! Fire!"

"Yes Tammy." His eyes suddenly became redder, with a red energy beam firing out not long after. Pearl and Amethyst managed to dodge, and ran to hide behind a pillar.

"Was the Gem War this intense?" Amethyst huffed.

"Different enemies, same intensity." Pearl responded. "Shall we?"

"Yeah." Bowing to each other, both gems began their respective dances and quickly merged with each other to make Opal. It only took them a moment to realize their plan could have been disastrous- she was almost as tall as the terminal's ceiling.

Quickly making her arrows appear, Opal shot them all at the cracks before turning her attention to Tammy and Phoenix Person. Taking aim, Opal was about to fire when Phoenix Person shot an eye-beam- straight at her gem!

Not expecting the beam to be quite so accurate, Opal quickly unfused leaving Amethyst and Pearl barely able to stand.

"No!" Dipper yelled. "Ford hurry!"

"IT'S DONE! Quickly! Everyone!" Ford yelled.

"Coming!" Garnet jumped forward to grab Amethyst and Pearl, before rushing over to the others. "Take us out of here!"

"And away we go!" Ford yelled pushing the enter button- and in a flash they were gone.

It was silent for a brief moment, before Tammy took in her surroundings and unconscious insect subordinates. "Interesting. Maybe we should examine this 'Homeworld' a little closer."

"What would the point of the excursion be?" Phoenix Person asked.

"You're kidding right?" Tammy scoffed. "They're inorganic sentient beings that adhere to absolute order, which don't need to eat, sleep, or drink- they're the perfect super soldiers."


	15. The Fateful Meeting with Rick Sanchez

**It's finally here! Rick Sanchez is finally here! Now, I set the Rick and Morty timeline at the point when Beth and Jerry are divorced. Yes, I did watch the entire season 3, but I'm not using Jerry anyways, so it works. As for the rest of the chapter, a twist is coming with Steven coming in the next chapter, so I hope you'll excuse the possible OOC-ness. Otherwise, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter and leave a review! Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Rick and Morty, Gravity Falls, or Steven Universe**

This jump was different for them- the others had been relatively nauseating, but this one felt like a wrecking ball to their bodies. Ford's homing device may have been inaccurate, but it was gentle compared to the intense roller coaster they were all sent on. In addition, this jump was over relativity quick compared to the other jumps. The trip was over just as soon as it began- with each of them barely registering that they hit the ground, and had face-plants full of grass.

Dipper groaned before getting up, spiting out several grass pieces as he did. Dusting himself off, Dipper muttered a few select words after realizing just how much his head hurt. Looking around himself, he was relieved to find that both of his uncles and the Crystal Gems had survived. Each of them were slowly gaining conscience, and seemed to be in the same state Dipper was in.

Taking a look around himself, Dipper was shocked to find that they were all in the middle of... someone's back yard. Seriously! After all the crazy worlds and space terminals, Dipper was pleasantly surprised to find himself in a backyard with grass, a fence, and a shed. He briefly wondered if Uncle Ford got the coordinates wrong. "Uncle Ford... is this it?"

"Uhh... the coordinates are right." Ford said, looking at the device. "But I'm not sure."

"What do you mean not sure, didn't you work with this guy?" Stan groaned, straightening out his back.

"Yes, but he never invited me to his home." Ford explained.

"Then how do we know that this is the right place?" Amethyst asked.

"We ask... I guess?" Pearl suggested hesitantly.

"Okay..." Everyone looked at the house behind them in uncertainty. "Any volunteers?" Lapis asked sarcastically.

Before anyone could respond, a teenage human girl opened the sliding glass door and closed it behind her. She was on her phone texting, and hadn't even bothered looking up. Dipper blushed, she was in a pink tank top and white capri pants- Mabel was right, he did have a thing for older women.

Clearing his throat, Ford called out. "Excuse me, young lady?"

"Ugh! What?!" The girl scoffed in annoyance before looking up. "I don't know who you people are, but I can't deal with Grandpa Rick's problems right now. There was a party, and I wasn't invited!" The girl walked way, without saying anything else to them.

"So... that was unexpected." Garnet said. "Apparently, Sanchez has a family."

"Yeah... Uncle Ford... are you sure we're in the right place?" Dipper asked again.

"The coordinates are the same as before." Ford once again found the readings were correct.

After a moment of awkward silence, Stan finally spke up: "So are we going to stand around all day, or what?"

Looking at the house, Pearl gulped: "Let's go in."

Taking tentative steps forward, they opened the door to find a normal looking kitchen leading to a normal looking living room. Really, there was nothing of note about this house- nothing like the mad scientist laboratory setup they were expecting.

In fact, there was nothing out of the ordinary about this house- other than the fact that THEY were being treated as if it were normal. They noted a blonde woman in a red shirt and blue jeans on the couch reading a book about divorce coping, who didn't seem to even notice them.

"Hey mom!" They're attention snapped when a young male voice enter the room, he wore a yellow shirt and blue jeans and also appeared average. "Why didn't the alarm go off?!"

"Hm?" The woman looked up and saw the two sets of intruders and then turned to her son. "Oh, I needed to charge my phone and the outlet was full."

"Mom! That alarm keeps out invaders from other worlds! Like you know- the Galactic Federation!" The boy exclaimed exasperated.

"Oh relax, these guys seem cool!" She waved off her son's concerns. "You guys aren't with the Galactic Federation, right?"

"No, we're not." Ford spoke up. "Is this the home of Rick Sanchez?"

"Yes it is, and always will be." The woman answered and then stood up. "I have to get to the clinic, have fun on your adventure with grandpa, Morty!"

After the woman, the boy groaned and turned to the group. "You guys here to see Rick?"

"Yeah... who are you exactly?" Dipper asked carefully.

"I'm Morty, Rick's grandson." The boy sighed and walked to another door that presumable led into the garage. "Hey Rick! There are some people from another universe here to see you!"

"Tell them to eat shit, Morty!" A voice shouted. "And what the hell happened to the alarm! It should've disintegrated them by now or something!"

"Mom unplugged it to charge her phone!" Morty yelled. "They say they're here for you!"

"No shit, Morty! What (burp) else would they be here for?!" Rick shouted back.

Meanwhile, the Crystal Gems and Gravity Falls crew was getting sick of the back and forth. Pearl in particular, couldn't take it anymore.

"Enough of this!" She drew out her weapon and ran forward.

"Pearl! No!" Ford yelled.

"Out of my way!" Pearl shoved Morty aside, and ran into the garage. BANG! Pearl instantly fell to the ground, feeling the impact of the sudden energy beam. Pearl groaned and looked up to see a thin male gunman with grew hair and labcoat, exactly like the one Peridot mentioned in reports. The man was glaring down at her, pointing some kind of ray-gun at her.

"Big mistake bitch." Before he could pull the trigger- more people rushed into the lab, forcing Rick's attention away from the fallen gem. Seeing her chance, Pearl scrambled back to her comrades and was assisted by Amethyst as she stood up.

"Rick please... just put the weapon down... we come in peace." Ford put his hands up and opened his coat, showing he had no weapons or means of attack.

"Tch. That's what every cliché sci-fi villain ever says- fuck, I say 'I come in peace' if it gets me laid faster!" Rick scoffed. "What do you want, Ford? Who the hell are these fuckers with you?!"

"This is my nephew Dipper and twin brother Stan." He indicated respectively.

"How's it going?" Stan said.

"Nice to meet you." Dipper nodded.

"And we are the Crystal-" Garnet was cutoff.

"Dipper? What kind of fucking name is that? Did your parents hate you or just give you a fucking stupid name that isn't resume' quality- either way you parents (burp) screwed you over. The circle of life and shit." Rick then shifted his weapon to the group of women. "Now who the fuck are you guys supposed to be? Your friend has a hell of a lot of nerve to break into my lab, and I haven't had NEARLY enough booze to put up with bullshit."

"Please sir, there is no need for violence." Garnet spoke up. "We are the Crystal Gems of a different Earth than your friend Ford, and we have come to retrieve Steven Universe."

"We are group of highly intelligent beings from a planet called Homeworld, but have made our home on Earth primarily thanks to Steven. Well for me and Lazuli anyways." Peridot added.

"Never heard of him, another stupid name, get out!" Rick rolled his eyes and put his gun away. "Morty, how long has the alarm been off-line?"

"About two hours or so." Morty answered.

"What about the Earth's signal scrambler?" Rick asked.

"That's still online, according to this actually." Morty handed Rick some kind of tablet.

"Well shit Ford, didn't think you had it in yah!" After pushing a button, and a bunch lasers and other weapons surrounded both groups.

"Rick, what are you doing?!" Ford exclaimed.

"You think I'm fucking stupid Ford?! The only way you could've found the universe I'm currently in, is if you had used a signal scrambler- something only the Galactic Federation has their hands on. I don't know what they offered you, but you shouldn't have made that deal Ford!" Rick laughed.

"Wait! We're not working with the Galactic Federation! We stole them!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Wait, what?" Rick pushed another button, and had the lasers on standby. "What do you mean stole them? How the fuck would you have been able to pull that off?"

"We've been trying to find your universe for the past few hours, and were taking a rest in a space terminal. They approached us after recognizing me." Ford hastily explained.

"Then they offered us some bogus deal where they would offer us these weapons, and anything else they had, to help capture you." Stan added.

"But then Ford said no, and they got really mad." Amethyst continued. "It turned into an all-out brawl! Pearl and I had to fuse!"

"Of course there were the henchmen." Garnet pointed out.

"I helped with that." Lapis rose her hand.

"And finally, I used my telekinesis ability to retrieve the devices and then we ended here! Which catches us up to our current predicament." Peridot explained.

Narrowing his eyes, Rick signaled his lasers to disarm. "You know better than to betray me, right Ford?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." The man shuddered.

"Fine- I'm bored today, so let's hear it! The lame-ass reasons for why you're here!" Rick exclaimed, and then turned to his grandson. "Morty hand me a pair of sunglasses."

"Sure Rick." Morty did as he was asked, and just stood awkwardly in the garage between the intruders and his grandpa.

When Rick began working on the sunglasses, he groaned. "Ugh! What the hell are you waiting for?! Talk! You said something about a Steven or something?"

"And Mabel!" Dipper spoke up.

"What?" Rick didn't turn around.

"My sister Mabel! Where is she?!" Dipper repeated.

"Mabel?! Geez, what the hell were your parents on when they named you? One name is so old MY grandma could've been named it, and your name is some hipster's half-ass attempt at being unique." Rick replied.

"Their names aren't important! Just tell use where Steven and Mabel are!" Pearl shouted.

"I don't know who they are (burp) nor do I give a shit." Rick finally turned around and put on the sunglasses. After pressing a button he added to the glasses, he scanned everyone for a brief moment and sighed. "Geez, living gemstones- that's something pretty original. You'd make good weapons though."

"We're not weapons." Garnet growled. "Please refrain from calling us that, with your fowl mouth."

"I'm Rick Sanchez bitch, the censors can go fuck themselves!" Rick replied and took off the glasses. "Okay I just got a fanfic wikipedia page of the adventure you guys had so far- typical crossover shit, but hopefully things'll get interesting soon."

"Wait, so you saw everything we went through?" Peridot asked.

"I just said that. I don't have the time to play catchup with you fucking idiots, so I just watched it happen and self-summarized it! Like how the journals and VHS tapes randomly connect you somehow, which the author better not forget about!" Rick rolled his eyes.

"So you know why we're here then, Rick?" Ford asked.

"Yeah, and you wasted your time." Rick went back to working on something else. "I don't have them."

Pearl clenched her hands. "What do you mean- don't have them?"

"Just what I said- jeez!" Rick scoffed. "Why the fuck would I kidnap two annoying little shits that only exist in their respective universes to embody the sense of innocence and normalcy for the audience?! God, it'd be like abducting Morty on crack or something."

"Well Rick... you have kidnapped aliens before." Morty pointed out.

"Aliens- Morty! Aliens! Not two annoying shits that literally exist, just to be annoying." Rick scoffed.

"Hey man, stop talking about Steven like that! It's not cool!" Amethyst stated.

"You're in my lab, bitch- I can talk shit about whatever I want." Rick replied.

"Rick!" Ford got his attention again. "If Steven and Mabel aren't here, where are they?"

"How the fuck would I know? Do I look like I keep track of random universes?" Rick shot back.

"No, but our universes aren't random are they?" Garnet spoke up. "If you've analyzed us, then you obviously know my abilities. According to Peridot's reports, you visited our universe for a barrage of purposes?"

"You're the place with the living gem stones- so yeah. I went there to see if any of those planets had anything useful, but your fucking Homeworld colonies sucked out anything useful before I could harvest- thanks for making those trips wastes of time by the way." Rick answered.

"We're not with Homeworld!" Pearl exclaimed. "We rebelled against them under our leader Rose Quartz, and now her son is missing! He went missing under similar circumstances, which you directly caused!"

"And our universe wasn't random either!" Dipper spoke up. "You tricked Uncle Ford into letting you have access to Gravity Falls, so you could unleash Bill there!"

"And from what we heard, you flat-out knew Weirdmaggedn was gonna and you didn't do anything to stop it." Stan recalled.

"And if I did? So what!" The old scientist scoffed. "I taught Ford and his useless piece of shit friend- guy who became a prospector or something- and he made himself useful."

Dipper was enraged. "Do you have any idea what you caused?! What you unleashed there?! Our world was almost destroyed because of you!"

"Oh geez man... you're barking up the wrong tree for apologies." Morty sighed.

"Why?! You deliberately unleashed Bill on Gravity Falls and did nothing to help us!" Dipper demanded.

"Why the fuck would I help you? You guys were just a little petridish I setup for that dumbass experiment, to see if he break it. You see you little shit, Gravity Falls was just a playpen and I wanted to see if Bill could climb out of it. He should've been able to blast you and the rest of Gravity Falls to hell, but he got hung up on the sadism." Rick sighed. "Total fucking failure."

"So you really have no remorse- for Gravity Falls, me, or Mabel?! We almost lost Grunkle Stan because of you!" Dipper yelled.

"But you didn't! And newsflash, you could've just gone to a parallel universe to get another one- each universe has infinite time-lines- take your pick." Rick waved it off.

Dipper was even more livid at the man's flippant attitude- how could he just treat people like that?! Life like that?!

As if reading his mind, Rick stated: "I did it cause I'm Rick-fucking-Sanchez bitch!"

Clearing his throat, Ford spoke again. "Yes- we know you are, which is why you're the only one who can help us."

"You mentioned needing my help already- still not seeing why I should." Rick turned back to his work.

Morty spoke up again. "Well Rick... they fought against the Galactic Federation. That's kind of cool, right?"

"That's the only reason why they're alive Morty, it's not doing them any other favors." Rick shrugged.

"We should've just accepted their proposal in defeating Sanchez." Peridot grumbled.

"Then you'd (burp) be fucking dead." He replied nonchalantly.

"We did fight the Galactic Federation Rick, and we saw something that might interest you." Ford suddenly changed his tone.

"Yeah? What's that?" Rick laughed.

"Bird Person." In an instant, the temperature in the air dropped and everyone felt the tension raise significantly. "You saw it in our memories too, right? He's now called Phoenix Person."

"...Where?" Rick got up, and went to his work shelves.

"At the last space terminal we were at- they had brought him back to life somehow. They're most likely going to use him as leverage." Ford explained.

"No shit." Rick reached into his pocket, and took a swig of alcohol. "Tell me everything you know, now!"

"Not until you hear us out!" Ford replied.

"You really want to try bargaining right now, Ford?" Rick glared at him.

"Yes. You can't kill us, otherwise you won't have information on Bird Person. So please Rick- a simple exchange. I help you, and you help us." Ford pleaded.

"Please..." Lapis spoke up. "Steven's missing. He's our friend... he's our family."

"And Mabel's my sister- we just want to know where they went and why they disappeared." Dipper added.

"We're desperate. If you don't help us, we'll have no other options." Pearl said quietly.

"UGH! Fine! But Ford- tell me EVERYTHING you noticed about Bird Person! From the biomechanics they used, to the material the skin was made of. Don't bitch out on any details!"

/

Steven was beside himself as Bismuth finished her stories about the Gem War, they were pretty much what Steven expected but he didn't realize just how involved his mother was in the battles. He knew she was the leader and everything, but dang! Looking down, he petted Lion and noted he didn't look any better than before. He had no idea how long it had been since Bill had taken Lion's power or essence, or whatever, but he was sure at least half an hour had passed.

"Wow! I am so jealous the Crystal Gems don't live my universe! You guys are the best example of girl power!" Mabel raised her fist.

"Nah! We the definition of the all powerful!" Bismuth laughed. "Not even the Diamonds could crush us..."

"But some of your friends got shattered, huh?" Mabel placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know what you mean... I nearly lost my Grunkle Stan cause of what Bill's Weirdmaggeden war. When I thought we lost him, that was already unbearable... I couldn't imagine losing so many good friends. How'd you get through it Bismuth?"

"Well truthfully... I didn't get over it." Bismuth admitted sadly "I made Breaking Point cause I couldn't take it anymore- if I saw another Crystal Gem shatter- I didn't know what I could do. But Rose bubbled me, and basically guaranteed they would all shatter."

"No all of them did though." Steven spoke up. "Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl- they were all there and welcomed you back."

"Yeah... how'd they take it by the way? When you told them about what happened between us?" Bismuth asked.

"They were devastated." Steven answered honestly. "Pearl was in tears, while Garnet and Amethyst could barely believe it. They didn't want to believe mom kept such a secret from them, but they just... accepted it in the end. Pearl didn't say anything for days afterward, while Amethyst and Garnet were just quieter... well Garnet was quieter than usual and would just stare off into space. I asked her if she had any visions about you and me fighting, but she said she didn't get any."

"She's lying." Bismuth sighed. "She probably thought if she encouraged positive interactions, she'd get a positive outcome- Garnet likes to make her own future sometimes."

"I guess. I wish she was here, to tell me if Lion will be okay or not." Steven sighed, petting his head.

Mabel crouched down to the pink cat. "He doesn't look too good, Steven. I told you not to make that deal with Bill!"

"What else was I supposed to do?! Bismuth was shattering! I didn't have any other choice!" Steven snapped.

"Maybe, but Bill also could probably bring Bismuth back in this space! I've been inside Bill's spaces before! He has complete control over what happens to us! He just used Bismuth into forcing you into making a deal!" Mabel stood up. "And that is the WORST thing you can do with Bill, especially with the deal you made!"

"Woah! Woah!" Bismuth stopped the fight. "Hold up there, both of you! Mabel, what do you mean that's the worst thing you can do with Bill?"

"Bill can't take anything directly from you, unless you make a deal with him. That means, taking over your body, entering your world, or kidnapping someone to his own world!" Mabel glared at Steven. "He either butters you up or traps you into a corner, where you have no choice but to make a deal with him!"

"Yeah! Like with Lion!" Steven pointed out.

"But he could've probably brought Lion back to life, or we might've been able to rescue Lion if we beat him!" Mabel argued.

"How can you be sure of that?!" Steven demanded.

"Because my brother and I did it in Weirdmaggeden!" Mabel snapped.

"What do you mean, girl? What's this Weirdmaggeden battle you keeping mentioning?" Bismuth asked.

"When Bill entered our world, he released all sorts of demons and monsters! And worse, he turned almost all of the Gravity Falls residents into stone and he made a throne of them! He sat on them, while they were screaming in agony!" Mabel started tearing up, remembering the awful sequence. "After we beat Bill, the townspeople and the town went back to normal. Well, normal as can be after that anyways. I've been through this before, I know how Bill's power works and he gets stronger every time you make a deal with him!"

Clenching his fists, Steven asked: "So what do we do?"

"The next time Bill shows himself, we have to outsmart him! We either have to trick him into letting us go by turning a deal around on him, or we have to summon up weapons to fight him." Mabel explained.

"Which one's more likely to get us victory?" Bismuth asked.

"Tricking him." Mabel answered and continued when she met Steven and Bismuth's confused looks. "My family and I have done it before, in fact- that's how we beat him! We tricked the great Bill Cipher into making a deal with us, and we beat him!"

"How?" Steven asked.

"By doing the same thing he does- making the deals as open-ended for us but limiting the options for him. The one weakness of Bill's deals is that both sides have to be satisfied." Mabel explained. "Basically, if one of the condition's isn't met or if both of them are done- then the deal is done and Bill can't do anymore. At least for whatever he asked for in the deal."

"I don't really get it." Steven admitted.

"Well... an example would be the deal Grunkle Stan and Ford made with him in Weirdmaggeden... in exchange for giving Bill the knowledge about how to get out of Gravity Falls, he let me and Dipper go. Dipper and I were supposed to distract him during the fight, while Grunkle Stan and Ford prepared something." Mabel explained. "However instead of entering Uncle Ford's mind, he entered Grunkle Stan's and he... we almost lost him when he erased Bill along with his mind."

"Woah..." Bismuth was impressed.

Mabel wiped some tears and continued. "Bill never specified which mind he had to enter, nor did he say how he wanted to leave Gravity Falls. We thought he was dead... he should be dead! Why is this happening again?!" Mabel was sobbing at this point, and looked at Steven when he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Steven... why did you bring me here? Why can't we go home?"

Biting his lip, Steven looked away from Mabel and Bismuth. "I asked for Bill to bring a friend so I could have some company, but I didn't specifically say from Beach City. And worst of all... I never asked for a time limit. From what you said, Bill can keep us in here as long as he wants. We don't have any way to fight back."

"Steven..." Bismuth whispered. "Why would you do that?"

"Like I said, my mom left me so many of her problems and so many unanswered questions- you included- and then my dad got kidnapped by Blue Diamond cause of me and-"

"Woah, woah! Blue Diamond showed up?!" Bismuth exclaimed. "On Earth?!"

"Yes! She took dad to Pink Diamond's old human zoo! I kept seeing her citadel in dreams and I started crying tears without warning! I was feeling her tears through my dreams! I felt her tears as she was arguing with Yellow Diamond-"

"Wait! Yellow Diamond was there too?!" Bismuth was shocked. It was rare for two diamonds to be seen with eachother outside of Homeworld.

"Yes! They were talking and singing about missing Pink Diamond, with Yellow Diamond saying the Earth should just be destroyed! All this, because my mom shattered Pink Diamond!" Steven yelled.

"Hey! That's not the only reason why the Diamonds wanted ot destroy Earth! Remember, that initiative took off WAY before Rose Quartz was formed." Bismuth pointed out. "By shattering Pink Diamond, your mom led the battles for Earth's freedom. I may be mad at Rose Quartz, but there's no way I'll sit here and listen to you badmouth her, when you weren't even there!"

"I thought you hated my mom..." Steven muttered.

"I do... but even those who hate her, respect her. You wanna know why?" Bismuth said. "Because she NEVER ran away from her problems. She stood tall and took it- much more than I can say about you."

"Guess that also makes me different than here." Steven clenched his fists.

"Steven." Mabel spoke up. "I know you already said you came here to escape from all that pressure, but is this really worth it? I mean- look at Lion! He's dying!"

Looking at his pet, Steven stroked his head. "Yeah... and I'll make whatever deal I can to save him."

"Steven no... whatever Bill's doing, it's obviously hurting Lion." Mabel warned.

"Yeah well, you know what they say..." Steven's frown slowly started to morph into a smile. A very wrong smile to Mabel. "No pain, no gain."

/

After going over the battle in extreme detail, Rick reluctantly began analyzing the two universes to see if he could spot the culprit. Meanwhile, Morty had gotten their human guests orange juice while the Crystal Gems preferred just standing around.

Sighing, Morty sat down next to Dipper. "Don't feel bad about the name-thing, Rick makes me feel like shit all the time."

"How can you stand working for him?" Dipper asked.

"It's kind of a numbing process, actually. I'm thinking of writing a book about it actually- 'The Twelve Steps of Rick: The process of becoming an enslaved sidekick.'" Morty laughed.

"Is he really your grandpa? No offense, but I'm surprised someone like him even has a family." Dipper observed.

"Yeah... I've asked him that before and have never gotten a clear answer. I think he just likes to use my mom's abandonment issues to bum off us." Morty shrugged.

"What does your dad think about this?" Dipper asked. "I mean, are both your parents REALLY okay with you having cosmic adventures with a... sadistic drunk with a God-complex?"

"My parents divorced cause dad couldn't take anymore Rickness, and I wouldn't say Rick has a God-complex, so much as he think everyone's beneath him." Morty explained. "But in saying that, he does keep his word usually- and you guys did give him information about Bird Person, so he's probably going to help you."

"Thanks for the reassurance." Dipper groaned. "What about Bill? Why would your grandpa make something like that?"

"Oh- that's far from the worst thing Rick's ever made. I mean Summer and I have a running tally of out of control experiments or just plain horrible things Rick has done, but creating an evil God triangle thing is one of the least terrible items." Morty explained.

"Just when I thought I couldn't possibly feel worse about being here." Dipper groaned.

"Seriously, can you find Steven or not?" Amethyst spoke up.

"Shut up! I'm working on it!" Rick growled.

"Perhaps your intellect is not as superior as you would like to perceive." Peridot taunted.

"It better be." Pearl growled. "That's the ONLY reason why we haven't eviscerated you."

"Oh I'm so scared of the big bad gemstones that shatter if their precious stones, which are exposed by the way, are damaged in any way." Rick snorted.

"But you can find him, right?" Lapis reiterated.

"Yes, now shut up." Rick continued scanning.

"Hey Garnet." Stan spoke up. "Didn't you say one of your vision thingies involved Bill?"

"Bill? We considered that possibility yes, but-" Ford was cut off.

"Oh my fucking god! Why didn't you say you thought it was Bill sooner!" Rick shouted and quickly typed something in. "Holy shit! Look at this!"

"What is it?!" Ford and the others ran forward to the screen, and saw a bunch of physicians equations that honestly made ancient hieroglyphics easy to read. But Ford, Pearl and Peridot seemed to recognize the severity as Rick, as they gasped. "So it was Bill..."

"What's this say?! Where's my sister?! What's he done with Mabel?!" Dipper demanded.

"And Steven?!" Pearl added.

"I don't know! Shut the fuck up! Ford! You and your dumbass brother there said you trapped Bill in his mind or something, and gave yourself amnesia or something when you erased him?!" Rick clarified.

"Yes!" Ford answered. "How is Bill alive?!"

"I don't know yet- he shouldn't be. Bill was a metaphysical concept brought to life, so if you trapped him in an open-ended deal with no escape, then he should've bit the dust." Rick responded. "But my equations are never wrong... Bill's back and he's the one who went annoying shit harvesting."

"Why... how's he alive?!" Dipper demanded.

"I don't know, you little shit! How many times do you want me to say it! Or how about Spanish?! Would you like that?!" Rick snapped.

"Hey! I've had enough of you talking to my nephew like that!" Stan brought out his brass knuckles, but Ford stopped him. "No Ford! I've had enough of this guy!"

"If a fight breaks out here, then we won't ever find them." Garnet reasoned. "So we now know who took Steven and Mabel? Now how do we find them?"

"He's keeping them on some alternate reality plain that he took over." Rick explained. "Bastard's probably biding his time while cooking up another plan to become something other than an Illuminati concept. It's not like he can do anything else."

"What do you-" Dipper was cut off.

"What does he need Steven and Mabel for?" Pearl asked anxiously.

"I don't know about this Steven-shit, but for the Pines kid- revenge. Obviously! I mean you only burned him alive in your mind, so she's probably still alive just to be tortured." Rick shrugged.

Dipper looked like he was about to faint, before Stan steadied him. "You're on thin ice already, buddy."

Before Rick could respond, Lapis spoke up. "How do we find them?"

"You don't." Rick shrugged. "Whatever Bill's planning, he needs to break out of that alternative reality ass-crack first. To do that, he probably needs to use your two annoying shits for energy (burp) or something! So basically, he'll find you."

"What if he kills Mabel and Steven?!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"Then two less annoying shits in existence." Rick shrugged. "Again, you can choose any one of them from ANY alternative time-line in your universes."

CRACK! Pearl, Stan and Amethyst had drawn their weapons and broke several machines that were on shelves behind themselves.

"Don't you DARE talk about Steven like he's replaceable! You have no idea how much joy and purpose he brings us, and you have no idea just how distraught we are that he's not here!" Pearl exclaimed. "There is only ONE Steven Universe, and we intend to bring him home!"

"And there's only one Mabel! I may not remember her, but if she's any bit as great as Dipper- then she's definitely one of a kind!" Stan nodded.

"So tell us how to find them!" Amethyst concluded.

Rick glared and took out his flask, taking a big gulp. "Biiigg mistake bitches..." Walking towards them, he took out what looked like a Swiss Army knife- which meant it could've been anything. Before anything could happen, Morty quickly put himself in front of them. "Out of the way, Morty."

"Rick!" Morty spoke. "They're just emotional and not used to all this, okay? And once you tell them how to find Steven and Mabel, they'll leave. Right guys?"

"Affirmative." Peridot said, rubbing her head.

After a pregnant pause, Rick sighed. "Fine. I'll give you something to find them- it'll get you to wherever the fuck Bill's hiding, and maybe you'll find those idiots alive." Shoving the group aside, Rick reached for a top box and started shuffling through it. After finding what he was looking for, he took the device, walked passed Dipper and grabbed a piece of hair, and settled to his desk and started modifying it.

"Rick... thank you." Ford smiled.

After finishing, he tossed the device to Ford. "The thing's basically a hand-held metal detector- it detects Bill's presence. The more it beeps, the stronger the signal. Since Bill was made from me, I still have some sample data, so yeah... here yah go."

Rick then took his portal gun and shot it at the garage floor. "Now get out of here you little shits."

Without any resistance, the group started descending into wherever the hole was taking them to. When it came time for Ford's turn, he asked: "Where will that thing take us?"

"Don't know, don't care- set the portal gun at random." Rick shrugged. "Now get out."

"Well... thanks again Rick." After Ford finally passed through the portal, the opening closed and left Rick and Morty alone.

"Geez Rick- all they were doing was looking for lost family members. I mean, you don't have to be such as ass about it." Morty complained.

"You think I'm an ass about it? Wait (Burp!) till they see what shit-filled chamber pot's waiting for them at the end of their fucking rainbow." Rick replied, thinking he had to go back to that one universe with the fucking best Jack Daniels before those shits came back.


	16. Collision Course for Success

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! I'm glad you guys generally responded well to Rick, he's one of my favorite characters of all time and I really wanted to do him justice. As for some of the comments in the reviews- Rick will come back soon, don't worry. Also, the fic is not close the conclusion yet- we're probably about at the half way point I'm guessing, maybe a little less. There's a pretty major twist for Steven coming up in this story, so I'm curious as to how you guys will react to it. All I'm asking is, not to overreact. Other than that, hope you guys enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review if you have any comments!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Rick and Morty, Gravity Falls, or Steven Universe**

Tammy stared out into the galaxy with an indifferent look, appreciating its vast emptiness rather than the glittery stars. She had been raised outside of Earth since she was a child, but had been dedicated to destroying Sanchez since her earliest memories. She had been from one of many Earth's the Rick of C-137 destroyed; the man was a plague on existence and needed to be destroyed through whatever means necessary.

She recalled implementing herself into the group of friends of Rick's granddaughter, Summer, after she and the rest of Rick's family essentially blew his cover with the Mr. Meeseeks. What she didn't account for, was needing to follow the C-137 Rick and Morty into the parallel universe after those two idiots Cronenberged the place. That was a pain in the ass, but so was everything when dealing with Sanchez.

That was also what made Sanchez so frustrating- he was one man, but the Galactic Federation and an entire Citadel of Ricks were powerless against them. He completely destroyed them the last time they encountered the C-137 Rick, and Tammy was not taking any prisoners this time. And given their current invasion plan, she doubted there were would be a need. She smiled as the hyperdrive of their ship slowed down, indicating they were arriving in the desired galaxy.

Quickly putting their ship in stealth mode, Tammy held her breath as she waited for the accompanying Federation ships to follow suit. After watching several 'Homeworld Gem' ships pass by them, Tammy let out a sigh of relief and cleared her throat. "Proceed forward, but do not disengage stealth mode until we've entered the planet's stratosphere. And keep weapons concealed but on standby- we want to look opposing, but not threatening."

"Tammy? Phoenix Person wonders why these precautions are necessary, when invasion is imminent." Phoenix Person pointed out.

"Because working relationships give us more soldiers, and while warfare is fun- it wastes time and resources. If these Homeworld Gems are smart- they'll submit quietly and offer up several conscripts." Tammy explained.

"And if they do not comply with our terms?" Phoenix Person asked.

"Then we do as the Galactic Federation always does- we conquer and reform."

/

Steven knew he wasn't himself- he hadn't been for the last few months. The mounting pressure of Homeworld, combined with all the baggage of his mother, he barely knew who he was anymore. Steven knew in his gut that it may have been a bad idea to trust Bill, but he promised the two things Steven wanted more than anything: to meet his mother and guaranteed safety from Homeworld.

It was too good to believe, which is why he kept making deals with Bill. But as he did, he felt himself... change, and not in a good way. Over the weeks leading up to his discussion with Greg, Steven had been... snappy, to say the least. He acted in ways he wasn't sure he was capable of, and had caused his dad to be abducted by Blue Diamond. After witnessing the colossal Homeworld leaders, Steven couldn't help but notice how helpless he was... how helpless all of them were. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl had been there with him, and even if they fused into Alexandrite, there was no way for them to beat either Diamond.

After returning to Earth, and trying to confront several issues about his mother- Steven just had it. The moment he found out something new about his mom, he was just met with more questions. His dad didn't know the answers, the Gems probably knew but didn't want to talk about it, and there were no more answers left on Earth. And that was really what ultimately led Steven to his decision to leave with Bill- there were no more answers on Earth, so he had to go find his own. He promised himself that he would return to Earth once he got his answers, and when he was strong enough to protect Earth from Homeworld.

He was on the verge of his answers- he could feel it! So why were Mabel and Bismuth standing in his way?

"No pain, no gain. That's what they say, right Mabel?" Steven asked serenely.

Mabel warily examined Steven, not missing the red tinge in his eyes. "Steven...? What's happening to you?"

"I don't know, honestly. I've been feeling different since I met Bill, but not in a bad way." Steven continued calmly. "Every time I make a deal with Bill, I feel myself getting more and more empowered! I'm no longer helpless!"

"You weren't ever before, Steven!" Bismuth yelled. "Remember! You beat me in the Forge! You told me about all the adventures you had with the Crystal Gems! Are you telling us that means nothing now?!"

"No! They mean everything to me! That's why I'm doing this! I have to protect everyone! Why can't you guys see that?!" Steam started to swirl around Steven, and he turned around to see Bill- almost as big as life itself- staring down at him. "Bill! I'm ready to make a deal!"

/

Garnet knew something was wrong the moment she and the others began the transportation process to another strange world, which was hopefully their final destination. Sapphire hadn't been able to see Steven at all in her recent visions- just this Bill person, along with Mabel and from what she saw- Bismuth! Considering the terms in which they parted, Garnet couldn't she was looking forward to seeing her old comrade again. But that could wait, for now they had to find Steven and Mabel!

Garnet's thoughts abruptly ended when she suddenly landed with a hard thud! She warily got up, and saw that her comrades and Gravity Falls team members had landed similarity. Looking around, Garnet was troubled when she didn't see any visions- all she was seeing was a cellphone.

"Ugh! I haven't had a fall like that since my stint in Vegas." Stan groaned. "Hey Ford, where-"

"Woah...!" Amethyst interrupted his thoughts. "What IS this place?"

"I'm not sure." Ford scratched his head and looked at the device Rick gave them- according to the data. "It seems like we're in some kind of void space."

"Void space?" Lapis repeated.

"I don't like the sound of that." Pearl said.

"And you shouldn't." Peridot stated. "We learned about these possibilities on Homeworld since hyperspace travel is so unstable. Void spaces are essentially crevices between universes that act as boundary lines between them."

"How does that work?" Dipper asked, looking around for any signs of Mabel or Steven.

"Simple. When a universe is created, it occurs due to a manifestation of matter from the collision of two atoms. This event is what you humans call a 'Big Bang', in which matter begins to develop into its own universe and ultimately create its own time-line." Peridot explained. "Essentially, we are in a space where nothing has come to exist yet."

"I thought the Big Bang didn't have a range limit?" Dipper asked, not that he knew much about the subject himself.

"There is no range limit per say, or one that has yet to be documented, so much as other 'Big Bangs' occur as well and the charges in the energy are the same." Peridot explained.

"So because the charges of the explosions repel each other, these dimensions are created in the spaces between the Big Bangs." Pearl finished.

"Astounding." Ford was amazed- he could never experience this phenomena up close before. "Your 'Homeworld' has studied Big Bangs?"

"Of course! How else do you think we can travel to different planets safely? Peridots like me need to understand and identify the nature of the universe's unique physical properties, and determine what stage of development it's at." Peridot explained.

"So what does that mean for us right now?" Garnet interrupted.

"Right! Sanchez stated that Steven and Mabel were in a space similar to this, yes? So we're most likely on the right track. Ford, what does the reader say?" Peridot asked.

"It says we're close, in fact- they should be here." Ford frowned, looking at the data.

"How do we know that Sanchez guy didn't send us on a wild goose chase?" Stan pointed out.

"No. Rick Sanchez is a mad man, but his inventions never fail. It's actually a point of pride for him." Ford answered.

"So where is Steven then?!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Calm down, Pearl! Let's go looking for him!" Amethyst suggested. "Steven! Steven!"

"Mabel! Mabel!" Dipper called out.

As they continued to call out, Dipper stepped on something hard and heard a distinct crack. Wincing, he looked down and his eyes widened at the object. "Guys! Guys! I found something Everyone ran towards the boy, who now was holding a Smartphone in his hand. "It's Mabel's cellphone! We're close to them!" The screen was cracked, but Dipper still managed to unlock the phone and growled at the low battery notification. "Ford! Peridot! I need something to charge the phone! Now!"

Rummaging through his coat pocket, Ford managed to find a nuclear energy charger and handed it to his son. "Will this work?"

"Yeah! Thanks!" Plugging the device into the phone, Dipper sighed in relief when it turned on. After typing in Mabel's password, the first four letters of Waddles name, he scanned through her phone to see if anything of relevance came up.

"Dude? Aren't you invading your sister's privacy?" Amethyst asked.

"I'm looking for anything that might tell us where they are, not reading diary entries." Dipper snorted. He then noted that her alarm clock had gone off like it was was supposed to for school, and that it had been paused before the battery ran out. Clicking on the video, Dipper's eyes widened and quickly showed his uncles the phone. "Grunkle Stan! This is proof you have a niece named Mabel!" Without another word, Dipper played the video on the phone.

"My name is Stan and I was Wrong! Now I'm singing the Stan-Wrong song! I shouldn't have taken this chance! Now I have to do this dance!"

After a moment of silence, Garnet spoke. "What was that?"

"It's a video Mabel and Wendy shot last summer in Gravity Falls. Grunkle Stan and Mabel made a bet with each other to see who ran the Mystery Shack! After Grunkle Stan lost, he had to do the dance in the video!" Dipper explained. "Grunkle Stan! Please! Tell me you remember Mabel!"

"I..." Stan was racking his brain around this, with images a girl in oversized sweaters with different themes coming to mind. "Mabel... she made me sing the 'Stan-Wrong Song'! She made me hate colors more than ever!"

"What?" Pearl asked.

"She blinded me with a rainbow when I said I hadn't seen a rainbow before." Stan explained and gasped. "Mabel! I remember her! Kid! I remember her!"

"Stan? Are you sure?" Ford asked in disbelief.

"Oh she's real Ford! And you should know- if Mabel hadn't had so much faith in me, you never would have been rescued from whatever dimension you were trapped in!" Stan told him.

"What?" Ford clutched his head, after images of a happy girl who loved unicorns flooded his mind. "You're right... she was also the one who collected the unicorn hair... it gave us vital protection against Bill! Oh my- Dipper! I am so sorry! I don't know how I could've-"

"It's okay guys!" Dipper hadn't realized he started crying, until he ran to hig his uncles. Finally, they remembered Mabel. "Let's just find her together!"

"Okay, that's all well and great that you remember Mabel and everything, but how do we find her and Steven?" Lapis asked.

Suddenly the grown started to shake violently! No, not just the ground! The entire are was shaking, with cracks appearing everywhere.

"What's happening?!" Pearl exclaimed.

"The void space is collapsing! It was must be colliding with a collapsing universe!" Peridot explained.

"I thought you said these spaces existed so universes didn't destroy each other!" Amethyst shouted.

"Yes, but it's different when a universe reaches the end of its life-cycle! The charges reverse and the dying universe takes out surrounding galaxies and spaces with it!" Peridot shouted.

"Which means?" Lapis asked for clarification.

"It means we're about to get caught up in a Big Rip!" Peridot exclaimed.

/

Mabel and Bismuth had to steady themselves as the ground around them begin to shake, and could only watch as Steven and Lion were lifted up into Bill's clutches.

"STEVEN NO! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Mabel tried shouting at him.

"Listen to her! Whatever you think you need to do, you don't have to! We can figure out something else to fight the Diamonds!" Bismuth also shouted.

But Steven wasn't listening. He just reached out his hand and said, "I'm ready to meet my mom!"

"Great! All it will cost you is your pet there!" He pointed to Lion. "You're probably due for a new one anyways!"

"How long will you get Lion? Will you make him better?" Steven asked.

"Hey now! I can't imagine you want a time limit to spend time with your mom! So how can I put an estimate on that?" Bill reasoned.

"Steven! He's not specifying terms! Don't let him-" Bill sent a lightning bolt down at Mabel, which Bismuth shoved her away from. But shoving her proved to be insufficient, as Mabel was at least stunned by the strike.

"Oh no! Mabel!" Bismuth ran over to her, and wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know how to check to see if a human was breathing. "Come on deep cut! Stay with me!"

"Ugh..." Mabel rubbed her head. "I don't feel well."

Bismuth growled and yelled up at Steven. "You see what he did there?! Your mom may not have prioritized war, but she NEVER would have let something like this happen to her comrades! Especially not in front of her!"

"She bubbled you away for centuries, and left the Crystal gems next to no instructions for me. She didn't' do anything to prepare us for the messes she left." Steven stated. "With this deal, she'll have to resolve these problems herself. I'm sure mom was a great leader, but she had no idea how to deal with her problems. She just keep them to herself, hoping they'd go away eventually. Right Bismuth?"

"I don't know, Steven! Maybe that's the case, maybe not! But you can't possibly think working with this thing, will bring anything good!" Bismuth argued. "Look at yourself! Can you even call yourself a Crystal Gem at this point?!"

"I don't know, but I need to take responsibility for this situation either way." Steven answered solemnly. "Bill! I'm ready to make a deal! I'm ready to meet my mom!"

"It's a deal!" Bill blinked and a large lightning bolt struck Steven and he began to feel faint.

Bismuth and Mabel could only watch in horror, as Steven's small pink gem fell to the floor.

/

Steven blinked and found himself in a room similar to Rose's room, surrounded by pink and space.

"Steven?" The boy shakily turned around and was stunned to see none other than Rose Quartz. His mother! In the flesh- sort of!

"Mom...?" Steven warily approached the figure. "This isn't an illusion or anything right? We're not in your room, so I think..." Steven reached out a tentative hand to touch the large pink woman, she reached out in turn. Both were stunned to see that they could touch, and that neither were illusions of the mind. "MOM!" Steven launched himself into the big pink woman, and hugged her for all it was worth. "It's really you!"

"...Steven? How is this possible?" Rose hugged back hesitantly. "What is going on? How are we both here?"

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Steven pulled back. "And where is here, anyways?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you!" Rose hugged him tightly and then placed him down. "But we're inside my gem, Steven. Each gem is a place recovery for us, it's our safe place Steven. It was originally my safe space- the fact that you're here, means your physical body has been destroyed." Rose Quartz explained seriously. "Steven, what has happened? Why are you in here with me?"

"A lot's happened mom, and I have so many questions to ask you!" Steven answered. "But I don't think we're short on time, Bill-"

"Steven, you don't understand!" Rose Quartz interrupted. "Unless if a gem is bubbled, it can't remain in stasis for very long! Steven! You have to tell me what happened, so you can reemerge correctly!"

"I made a deal with an all powerful triangle God or something, so I could meet you! I have so many questions mom! Do you have any idea the messes you left behind, when you had me! Could I have communicated with you this whole time, by going inside our gem?!" Steven demanded.

"Steven! That's not important right now! Look at your body!" Rose Quartz ordered.

Pausing, Steven did as he was told and was surprised to see that he was fading. Fearfully, he asked: "Mom... what's happening to me?"

"We cannot exist at the same time Steven, and from the looks of it, I will be forced to emerge again!" Rose explained.

"Then, I'll just come back out when you don't want to be out... for some reason." Steven finished awkwardly- wondering why his mom would give up her chance.

"It's not that simple Steven! We're not a fusion! We're one gem! My consciousness and being were deactivated to give you life! To give you the chance to grow and evolve into your own person! That's what I loved most about having you! The fact that I had no control over what you would be!" Rose explained hastily.

"I'm glad you're happy with how I turned out, cause I hate it!" Steven's outburst surprised Rose. "You left me and the Crystal Gems with so many questions! You made Pearl feel like you didn't trust her! You never told them about Bismuth! And Pink Diamond- why mom?! Why?!"

"Steven..." Rose said sadly. "I'm sorry, I never meant for you to carry so many burdens."

"I love who I am, mom... I just hate what it means sometimes. And lately, it's just became too much. I had to meet you, to answer all my questions... so believing Bill seemed worth it." Steven smiled sadly, noting that he was suddenly feeling very tiered and faint. He also noted his skin was becoming increasingly pale and faded, not the pasty sunblock color he was used to.

Rose caught her son before he fell, she had tears streaming down her face. "Steven! Please tell me what you did, so I can reverse it! The Crystal Gems need you!"

"No mom... they need you..." Steven muttered, falling into a peaceful sleep.

/

Bismuth could only stare in bewilderment at the gem of her former leader, while absentmindedly steadying Mabel. Even as the reality around them was collapsing, it felt like that stone stayed perfectly still. After a moment, the gem levitated and began glowing. Bismuth frowned when the familiar silhouette appeared in a pink glow, and unveiled the person she most loathed. "Long time, no see Rose Quartz."


	17. What is Found and Lost

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews from last week, glad you guys are excited. As I said before though, the end of the story is at least a dozen chapters off or so. I don't know for sure, but the story does not end with Bill.**

 **As for the questions you guys had about Rick, it'll be explained in this chapter how he knew they'd come back, but honestly- it's Rick Sanchez. Other than timetravel, there pretty much isn't anything he doesn't know. Also, when he made the device for Ford, he had a good idea of the spaces collapsing before they left. And no, Steven is most definitely not dead.**

 **So with that, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to leave a review for comments and questions. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, or Rick and Morty**

Bismuth stared at her former leader with a mix of emotions, primary that of contempt and disgust. "Long time no see, Rose Quartz."

Rose Quartz looked at Bismuth, then at the human girl in her arms. "Bismuth?! What's going on?! Who is that human child?!" Distinct shattering could be heard as the shaking became more violent. Both gems buckled their knees, to brace themselves for any other activity.

"I don't know the whole situation! All I know is that your son made a bad deal with something, and that this human girl may be the only way to get him back!" Bismuth answered honestly.

Meanwhile, Mabel was faintly regaining her barrings and blinked until she could see straight again. "Ugh... remind me to stay out of lightning storms from now on..." Then Mabel noticed the pink gem. "It's you! The woman that was projected from Steven's dream! You're his mom right?!"

"Yes, and I need you to tell me everything about our current situation! What happened to Steven?! What deal did he make?!" Rose stressed.

"I don't know... he said that he was overwhelmed and that Bill promised that he could meet you in exchange for being his friend or something." Mabel explained. "I'm sorry! I tried to stop him! I did!"

"I believe you..." Rose Quartz trailed off awkwardly when she realized she didn't even know the human's name.

"Mabel! Mabel Pines! And we really should find a way out of here!" Mabel answered, taking note of their collapsing environment.

'MABEL! MABEL!'

The girl's head perked up, hearing her brother's voice. "DIPPER! DIPPER! I'M HERE! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Mabel's sudden outburst caused Bismuth to drop her.

"What is your problem, human girl?" Bismuth rose a brow.

"Sorry! I hear my brother's voice! He's close! I can feel it!" Mabel didn't know if it was some twin-psychic connection thing or something, but she KNEW her brother was near. "Don't you guys hear it?!"

The two gems were more concerned about staying alive, rather than focusing their hearing but Rose Quartz managed to respond. "I'm sorry! I can't hear anything with this interference! We need to get out of here! This area is collapsing!"

/

Dipper and the others were bracing themselves for the worst, with the only thing keeping them alive being the space disruptor Ford had. Currently the man was typing in some coordinates, probably anywhere but here. But Dipper wasn't ready to give up. They had come this far, and that device Sanchez gave them said Mabel and Steven were near.

So without thinking, Dipper suddenly started shouting. "MABEL! MABEL! IT'S DIPPER! IF YOU'RE THERE, SAY SOMETHING!"

"Dipper! What are you doing, kid?!" Stan shouted.

"Mabel's here! I can feel it!" Dipper replied. "We can't just leave her and Steven here!"

"Kid! I know how hard this is for you, but Mabel isn't here! Look around!" Stan indicated around himself.

"Besides! It's too dangerous to stay here!" Lapis shouted. "If Steven and Mabel were here, they aren't here now!"

"No! They have to be! Ford! You said that Rick was a maniac, but that his inventions never fail right?!" Dipper demanded.

"Yes, but Dipper-" Ford tried to to argue.

"Then no buts!" Amethyst suddenly shouted. "We're not leaving without Steven and Mabel! Believe that!"

Ford bit his lip and looked at Garnet and Pearl. "What about you two? What do you think?"

"If Steven's here, we're not leaving." Pearl stated firmly, and looked at Garnet expecting a similar response.

But Garnet bore a deep frown, and was silent. "I... don't see Steven."

"What?!" Pearl exclaimed.

"I don't see Steven! I just see Mabel... with two other figures. They look familiar, but Sapphire can't distinguish the shapes." Garnet explained.

"No..." Dipper whispered. "He's got to be there, with Mabel! Sapphire's vision said so, right?!"

"In the state we're in and the unpredictable nature of our situation, Sapphire's visions aren't clear." Garnet replied. "But Dipper... you're certain Mabel's here?"

"Yes! I know it!" Dipper stated firmly.

"Hmmm... Peridot!" Garnet got the little green gem's attention. "Can you read the data on Ford's device?"

"Yes- there's definitely another void space collapsing near us, and that might actually be a good thing!" Peridot explained.

"How is that a good thing?! Didn't you say we were going to die in here?!" Lapis demanded.

"Yes, but remember what I said about the same charges being repulsed by each other! If we head towards the edge of the space where the other is, we might survive the impact of the Big Rip!" Peridot explained.

"What is the Big Rip, anyways?! Is it the universe passing gas or something?!" Stan asked.

"If that is a humor-based analogy, I don't recognize it, but essentially these two spaces are collapsing because of the surrounding universe reaching the end of its life-cycle. The matter becomes so deteriorated that it can no longer sustain all the energy!" Peridot explained.

"Resulting in collapse of the universe' personal reality!" Pearl finished. "We have to find them and get out!"

"I'm working on it!" Ford yelled and concentrated. "If we follow Peridot's idea, we need to head right! Everyone gather round! I can get us there, using Ricks' invention!"

"DO IT!" Pearl yelled.

/

"Can't say I'm happy to see you, Rose Quartz!" Bismuth said, while dodging what looked like glass. Reality was literally shattering around them, and that weird triangle thing left them there to die!

"Likewise Bismuth!" Rose said, punching a shard that came here way. "But let us save the unpleasentries for later!"

"Seriously!" Mabel said between them. "You guys can fight later, we need to get of here and find my brother!"

"Working on it!" Bismuth morphed her arms into hammers, and kept cracking the shards.

Rose Quartz was doing the same, preventing a piece from falling Mabel's head. They were doing well for now, but Rose knew it was only a matter of time before they were enclosed in this dying universe. She had tried to call Lion already, but the cat was completely unresponsive.

Suddenly, a distinctive whooshing sound was heard above them! They all looked up, and saw a new vortex had formed. Seeing their chance, Rose Quartz grabbed Mabel and jumped up towards the portal with Bismuth following. They were in conflict still, but Rose knew Bismuth would fight alongside her until they were in safe territory again. They had no idea how this portal formed or whatever it was going, but they knew they wouldn't have another chance.

All of the sudden, Rose Quartz, Bismuth, and Mabel saw a bunch of figures approaching them! They must have been the creatures that had opened the portal, but Rose and Bismuth were prepared to force themselves if they had to.

Meanwhile, Mabel squinted her eyes and smiled. "DIPPER! Guys it's my brother! And my uncles!"

"What?" Rose and Bismuth looked down at her at the same time, and collided into the other group with a sudden OOMPH!

The entire group then suddenly dropped down in the vortex, with Ford quickly using Rick's device and his space disruptor to make another portal. They shouted as they fell to parts unknown.

/

Rick was still tinkering in his lab, getting as plastered as possible for the upcoming situation that he knew was ultimately going to fall into his lap. Too bad he couldn't personify it, to give him a blow job. On cue, he heard a familiar beeping and got up to move his current project from the center of the garage, to a safer compartment.

The old fashioned portal ring appeared, and the group unceremoniously dropped to the floor and took up entire lab space. Rolling his eyes, he called: "Morty! I need your ass in here, to be filled in on the upcoming adventure or (burp!) whatever!"

"Coming!" His grandson arrived in the garage and looked at the group on the floor. "Previous group found group they were looking for?"

"Kind of." Rick shrugged and took another swig. "They got a giant pink woman who holds all the answers to everything, who for whatever reason, decided not to leave behind any care instructions for the first human-gem hybrid."

At this, Rose Quartz stood up and came face to face with a human male she did not recognize. Based on his gray hair, he seemed to be at an older age compared to Greg. "Are you speaking about me?"

Rolling his eyes, Rick answered. "Who else?"

"Rick!" Ford coughed as he stood up from the pile, as the others were dusting themselves off. "How?! We didn't mean-"

"To end up here again? I know!" Rick groaned in frustration. "That homing device is designed to return to base if the battery's running low."

Dipper looked at the handheld metal detector in Ford's hand, and noted that the battery was indeed running low. He then looked at the old man. "You knew we were coming back here..."

"Duh! I'm the fucking badass inventor who can Dr. Who any fucking place! Who has a major hoarding issue for some reason..." Rick shrugged. "Seriously, I have boxes of old shit that exist for the sake of rusting or just become randomly relevant for one episode."

Before Dipper could respond, a voice got his attention. "Dipper!" The boy whirled around and then tackled the person in question in a hug. "You have no idea, how happy I am to see you!"

"I can guess." Dipper laughed as he hugged his sister back. He stepped back and looked at her. "Are you okay?! What happened Mabel?!"

"I'm fine, but Bill-" Mabel was cut off when she was suddenly hoisted up by Stan.

"Mabel! Thank goodness you're okay!" Stan hugged her tightly. "Where is that one-eyed demon?! I'll punch him into oblivion!"

Smiling, she hugged the old man back. "Great to see you too Grunkle Stan! You too Uncle Ford!"

Ford smiled and also gave the girl a hug. "I'm sorry we took so long to find you."

"It's fine! Steven and I couldn't tell how much time had passed anyways!" Mabel hugged back and then gasped. "Oh my gosh! Steven! Guys Bill's back and I don't know what he's planning, but-"

"STEVEN!" Mabel was suddenly yanked out of Stan's grasp and was looking straight at the wide eyes of Pearl. "Where is Steven?! What is going on?! How is Rose Quartz here?!"

"I..." Mabel looked at the woman in confusion, and then noticed the gem on her forehead. "Are you one of the Crystal Gems? Steven told me about you guys!"

"Yes." A tall red woman put a hand on Pearl, to calm her down. "I am Garnet, this is Pearl, and that is Amethyst." Pointing at the short purple gem, whose jaw was dropped at Bismuth and Rose Quartz. Two others were doing the same, wit the short green one just staring in awe while the blue one seemed to be hiding and looked very angry. "Those are Lapis and Peridot... and those two who you've met are... Bismuth and-"

"Rose Quartz." Amethyst finished. "Is that really you?!" She couldn't believe it! Her beloved leader was in front of her again, but how?!

Rose Quartz looked down at her old comrade sadly and nodded. "Yes Amethyst... it's me." She then looked to Mabel, Garnet, and Pearl. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on either."

Pearl finally turned to acknowledge the pink woman and Bismuth. "You expect me to believe that is Rose Quartz?! After everything we've been through, you expect me to believe that Rose Quartz is back?! Why are you doing this to us, Rick Sanchez?!"

"Me?! I didn't have anything to do with this shit! And if you want proof that this is _your_ Rose Quartz and not some clone or parallel universe shit, I can prove it right now!" Rick yelled. "Seriously! I can use any scanner in here-"

"It's her." Bismuth finally spoke up. "I'm not sure of what's going on either, but this Rose Quartz- I saw Steven's form change into her. That triangle thing shot Steven with a lightning bolt, then there was a flash of light and now... Rose Quartz is here."

"Astounding..." Peridot muttered. "This is the instigator of the Gem Rebellion! I must say- you caused quite a bit of trouble for Earth though. Not to mention, incurring the wrath of the Diamonds."

Rose Quartz looked at Peridot in surprise. "I'm sorry... I don't believe we met."

"Yes. I'm Peridot, defector of Homeworld and now a proud member of the Crystal Gems. I am one of the collaborators responsible for getting us here." Peridot bragged.

"I see... thank you for your contribution." Rose Quartz smiled awkwardly but frowned when she saw the blue gem trembling behind Peridot. "Who is this?"

"Lapis Lazuli." She muttered. "You and the Crystal Gems trapped me in a mirror."

Rose Quartz paled in realization, and quickly glanced at Bismuth who bore a neutral expression. Turning back to the blue with gem with a look of horror she spoke: "I'm so sorry-"

Lapis put out her hand with a harsh glare. "Save it. I'm here for Steven, not you, so tell us how to get him back!"

"That's a good question." Garnet spoke quietly. "Is that really you Rose Quartz... or are you something else?"

Shaking her head with a sigh, Rose answered. "No... it really is me Garnet. I'm not an imposter or illusion constructed by Steven- it's truly me."

"How?" Garnet asked.

"Again- I'm not sure." Rose sighed and looked at her comrades with an uneasy smile. "I only saw Steven for a brief moment inside our gem." Rose rubbed her stomach carefully. "He was talking to me about the pressure he's under, and how... I left him with all of the consequences of the Gem War. He said he was afraid of his destiny- the destiny I placed upon him!"

"You did." Lapis said bluntly.

"Yes... and it seems that the pressure became too much." Rose said sadly. "It's my fault... I should've left written instructions or notes for Steven to let him know he wasn't alone-"

"So it really is you." Pearl interrupted. After a moment of silence, she fell to her knees and tears were falling down. "Rose Quartz... out of all the circumstances to reappear- why now?!"

"Pearl..." Rose sighed sadly.

"No! Why didn't you come back when Steven was a baby?! When he didn't know him?! When we didn't love him?! Why would you make us choose between you two?!" Pearl shouted. "I want to be happy you're here... I do! But we came all this way, put up with THAT man-" She pointed to Rick, who was currently drinking his ass off while Morty watched eating popcorn. "To save Steven! So why... why would you choose to come back now?!"

"I didn't choose to comeback! Steven somehow did this!" Rose exclaimed, also crying. "I want to be happy too Pearl... but not with Steven trapped inside the gem!"

"Wait! What do you mean trapped?" Amethyst asked.

"As you all know, when gems lose their physical form they reassemble themselves inside their gem- that's essentially what Steven did when he conjured me. I'm not sure if he's still in there, but if I was... it's a safe assumption." Rose said hopefully.

"How exactly did that happen?" Garnet frowned, looking at Bismuth suspiciously. "What would have made Steven lose his physical form?"

"Why are you looking at me?" Bismuth glared back.

"You did nearly kill Steven in a volcano." Amethyst pointed out. "Not cool man."

"What?" Rose Quartz growled.

"I thought he was you- you're the one I've got issues with Rose Quartz." Bismuth scoffed. "Like I said- some giant triangle thing with one eye shot a lightning bolt at Steven and the next thing I know- you're back!"

"And you expect us to believe that?" Garnet asked.

"You should Garnet! I would never lie to you guys about something like this! I'm sorry for how things panned out last time we met but I'm telling the truth! That did happen!" Bismuth exclaimed and pointed to Mabel. "Ask that little human! She saw it all, and she knows more about this triangle-thing than either of us!"

"It's true! Bismuth's not lying!" Mabel exclaimed. "I was arguing about Bill with Steven the whole time! And when Bill appeared, he made Steven float in front of him and shot him an eyebeam or something!"

"Are you sure Mabel?" Ford asked.

"Duh! It's not the first time I've met Bill, and he's pretty hard to forget!" Mabel insisted. "Steven made some sort of deal with Bill to get himself off of Earth, or his Earth or something, in exchange for something."

"So he made a deal with Bill?!" Dipper asked in concern.

"Yeah." Mabel nodded grimly. "And from what I heard, more than one of them."

"Didn't you warn him about what would happen?" Dipper asked.

"Of course I did! But that didn't stop him! In fact, Steven seemed to be completely ignoring me." Mabel sighed and turned to Rose Quartz. "He was upset about this place called Homeworld invading Earth, and he thought he placed some sort of destiny on him or something."

"He said that to you too?" Rose quartz asked confused.

"Yeah. He thought it was his destiny to finish the Gem Rebellion, since you died before the threat was actually gone." Mabel explained. "He also said that he was getting overwhelmed by all the new stuff he was learning about you. He couldn't take it anymore, and decided to leave your world with Bill."

"Mabel...? What else did Steven talk to you about?" Rose Quartz asked hesitantly.

"Lots of stuff, like Homeworld invaders, the Diamond Matriarch, how he found that you shattered Pink Diamond-" Mabel answered.

"He learned about Pink Diamond?" She sent Pearl a questioning look, who turned away. She frowned in understanding- Pink Diamond was tragedy neither of them wanted to remember. "That is troubling..."

"He knows that she was shattered, he doesn't know anything else about how the Gem War was ignited." Pearl answered tersely.

"I see... Mabel, you know much about this Bill character right?" Rose Quartz turned back to the girl. "How did he find my son? What does he want with him?"

Before Mabel could answer, a loud belch could be heard. "GOD! Finally, I can tag in!" Rick boasted. "While you guys were talking bout things fans could probably write in themselves during a chapter break, I actually figured out what that mother-fucker's after."

"And why would we believe you?" Bismuth asked.

"Cause that stupid shit's not gonna know. She and those other Gravity Falls people faced Bill in a climatic fight that was supposed to involve some awesome Zodiac shit that never happened- but they don't know anything about him." Rick snorted.

"And you would know, cause you made him?" Dipper glared.

"Duh! It's pretty (burp!) fucking obvious actually." Rick took another swig. "He didn't want this Steven kid- other than his hybrid novelty, there's nothing special about him. He wanted the kid's pet."

"Pet?" Lapis frowned.

"Oh my gosh! Lion! He's missing!" Mabel exclaimed. "Where is he?!"

"Probably in Bill's testicle sacks." Rick shrugged.

"Be serious! Lion is a vital part of my son's life! What did this Bill do with him?!" Rose Quratz exclaimed.

"I am serious. Bill wasn't interested in taking your kid, he knew that taking your dumbass son was the only way to lure out that sentient portal generator you made." Rick explained. "Really, Bill didn't have to do a lot to get your son to be his victim- that dumbass did everything Bill said."

Before any of the Crystal Gems could react, Dipper spoke up. "Wait. I don't get it. If Bill was after Steven's pet the whole time, why kidnap Mabel?"

"Don't know. Bill's also a dumbass who wanted revenge and got ahead of himself." Rick shrugged.

"Why would Bill need Lion?" Garnet spoke.

"What part about sentient portal, do you idiots not get?!" Rick rolled his eyes. "As Bill is now, he can't do shit without an external portal lying around. He can make as many wet dreams he wants to, but he can't get into any universe's reality without help."

"So that means... Bill was trapped near Steven's universe?" Ford clarified.

"Obviously." Rick said.

"But Bill initially invaded Gravity Falls?" Amethyst asked.

"Yep." Rick confirmed.

"So... how'd he get there?" Dipper asked.

At this, Rick didn't answer and just turned away to his work desk- and seemed to be pretending to work on something.

Morty frowned, "Rick?"

"I'm busy here, Morty!" The old man sneered.

"Rick! If you don't know, you don't have to be such an asshole!" The boy complained.

"Fuck you Morty!" Rick growled.

Rolling his eyes, Morty turned to address the others. "What my asshole grandpa is trying to say is that Bill was after the magic pink lion to escape whatever weird space he was trapped in, and now that he convinced Steven to give up ownership- he's probably heading to that Gravity Falls place."

"WHAT?!" The Pines family exclaimed.

"Yeah, you guys should probably get going." Morty rubbed his arm awkwardly. "He's going go beastmode on that place!"

"Yeah! Meanwhile, we've got real shit to get ready for." Rick said. "Morty- you get all the stuff?"

"Yes Rick. It wasn't easy with all your crap lying around, but yes I found the right box." Morty groaned in exasperation.

"Hey! The fact that I hoard, shows I severe emotional attachment issues! Or something- I don't' know, I just took that psychology class in college to fuck the teacher. She was (burp!) hot." Rick nodded to himself. "Anyways- is it the box that has all the weapons to destroy the Galactic Federation?!"

"Yes!" Morty rolled his eyes. "I've learned the drill by now Rick!"

"Morty! If one laser cutter is missing, I swear to God-"

"You're going to war with the Galactic Federation?!" Ford asked.

"Yeah. Those mother fuckers are heading to this Homeworld place the Crystal Bitches were going on about." Rick said.

"WHAT?!" It was not the gems turn to be shocked.

"Yeah- turns out they like the fact that you can merge or whatever, are somewhat invincible, and don't need food, water, or sleep- so yeah." Rick explained. "You really should've killed them all at the space station."

"So let me get this straight... there are simultaneous invasions going on right now- in our respective universes?!" Dipper clarified.

"That's what I just said." Rick shrugged.

"We need to get back to the Mystery Shack!" Stan suddenly spoke up and turned to the Crystal Gems. "Look no offense, it's been fun and all, but we need to get back to our universe to save it! Bill's back, and he's not gonna be trapped in Gravity Falls this time! And it sounds like you guys needs to get back too!"

"No! If this Bill switched mine and Steven's places, surely he can do it again!" Rose Quartz answered.

"Oh come on! Aren't you worried about your home universe or something?!" Stan argued. "You don't know what Bill's going to do! This little crossover adventure- that's just the tip of the iceberg of what he's capable of lady!"

"Besides... Bill probably won't switch you and Steven back." Mabel spoke up. "And if he does, it'll be because he wants something from you- which eventually cost Steven, his Lion."

"What did Steven give in exchange for Lion?" Rose Quartz asked.

"He wanted to meet you." Mabel twiddled her fingers sadly. "Bill took Lion, when Steven agreed to the deal. If you met Steven, even if it was briefly, it still counts for Bill cause Steven never specified how much time he wanted with you. Or the circumstances..."

"Can Bill's deals be undone?" Rose Quartz asked carefully.

"Yeah, but you'd have to trick him." Dipper explained.

Turning to Rick, Rose Quartz asked: "I assume you know more than any of us, so I'll just ask- is there a way to get Steven and Lion back?"

"Yes, and I don't know." Rick answered. "You can definitely get your kid back, but the cat is probably just tiny bits of energy inside Bill. But since he's based off me, who I made while drunk, he'll probably force you into a shitty choose one or the other type situations."

"I see." Rose Quartz took a breath and turned back to the Crystal Gems. "All of you have every right to be angry with me, and I'm sure you have many questions. But I ask all of you to put those troubles aside for now, and join me on the quest to Gravity Falls!"

"Of course we're with you Rose." Garnet said without hesitation.

"For sure!" Amethyst nodded.

"Agreed. This situation is troubling, but we're the Crystal Gems and we always save the day!" Pearl nodded.

"I don't acknowledge you as my leader, but if it's to save Steven- then you can most certainly count on my assistance!" Peridot confirmed.

Lapis was quiet for a minute, before saying. "I don't forgive you and I want an apology from HER later!" She pointed to Bismuth. "But if it's for Steven, then fine... let's go to Gravity Falls."

Bismuth snorted and shrugged. "Guess I'm in too- want to give that Triangle thing a piece of my mind."

Smiling, Rose Quartz turned to the Pines family. "Please let us join you. You need our assistance to get my son back. Defeating Bill is a mutual interest for our groups."

"It won't be easy. The only reason why we won against Bill last time was because we tricked him. And there's no way he'll be falling for that again." Mabel explained.

"We'll figure something out! I still have the journals!" Dipper said.

"Guess it's decided." Stan sighed and looked at the gems one more time. "You sure you don't want to save Homeworld or whatever?"

"No... that's a discussion we won't come to an agreement on." Rose Quartz sighed. "Besides... if Rick Sanchez is going to Homeworld... then perhaps we will not be immediately needed."

"You'd be useless, but yeah." Rick waved his hand.

"Anyways, Steven is our top priority right now so there's no need to feel bad." Garnet explained. "Suffice to say, we came all this way for Steven- and we aren't leaving without him."

Nodding, Dipper looked at the allies around himself and nodded at Mabel, "Let's go to war."


	18. Preparing for the Storm

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! I just watched the new Steven Universe, and pretty awesome! Not much inspiration help, but happy for new Steven Universe! Anyways, Bill's coming for Gravity Falls and it's gonna be intense! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Don't forget to leave a review if you like!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and Rick and Morty**

Despite going back home, Pacifica had been on edge since her confrontation with Dipper Pines and hadn't stopped staring at the sky. She didn't know why, but the first thing she started doing when she got home was look for weapons. This included random garden tools, cooking supplies, and even her father's shotgun. It wasn't like he was ever man enough to wander into a forest, but he did teach her a thing or two about skeet shooting. Pacifica bit her lip as she examined it, it would be a pain to constantly reload pellet shots that would probably not even be needed. But if that were the case, why did she feel so nervous?

Looking outside, Pacifica rubbed her arms nervously at the sky- the weather forecast called for clear skies, but it was darkening. Also, the sky seemed to be swirling, as if an eye of the storm was forming. She gripped the shotgun, and began preparing herself. She was going to join the battle against Bill if it were to come down to it.

If you were to ever ask Pacifica if she regretted anything in her life, she would say a lot. But if you were to ask her when she started to feel regret, if would be soon after meeting Mabel and Dipper Pines. It became apparent that neither twin was particularly interested in her money, which was fine- too many wannabes anyway, but what surprised Pacifica was the fact that the twins weren't interested in her!

The nerve of them! It wasn't like she wanted to be friends with them, but they were supposed to worship or fear the very ground she walked on! That was how she was raised, and she wasn't going to let a couple commoners embarrass her! So when the fateful mini golf match with Mabel Pines came, Pacifica was ready to destroy her- she wasn't ready for a bunch of miniature monster-like creatures to almost kill her or to be rescued by the Pines twins.

But that night had been pivotal for her- because that was the first time she learned that you could in fact, EAT in a car! As mundane and simple as that sounded to everyone else, that was just it- Pacifica wasn't like everyone else. Her family made sure she was isolated and spoiled like them, but when she shared a taco with Mabel Pines- her world changed!

Not only was she allowed to eat in the car, she learned what sharing was. Pacifica would never admit this at the time, and probably never out loud- but that left over taco was the best taco she had ever tasted! She would never forget that experience, and her remembering Mabel proved it.

Finding the Journal was simple- she collected it after Dipper discarded it. She had no idea why he would abandon the book, but she wasn't questioning it when she found it at Goodwill she had been shopping at. Another thing she was not ready to admit out loud- her family actually had to save money now.

Pacifica had no idea how to repay the Pines twins for everything they did, but she did when she learned that people genuinely forgot Mabel. Pacifica had no idea why Mabel had such an impact on her, but she didn't hesitate when she brought the Journal to the Mystery Shack. But then there was that old 'VHS tape' as Ford Pines called it- Pacifica had no explanation for that. She had no idea what was on the tape or why it was with the Journal, but she knew it couldn't have been a coincidence.

Opening the door, Pacifica stared down at the town and saw that the town was indeed preparing the next Weirdmaggeden- all of them sensed Bill coming! And no way were they backing down from round two!

"Pacifica! Come inside this instant!" Pacifica turned to her father, who looked t be just as terrified as her mother. "We can't fight with them! We need to save ourselves!"

Shaking her head, Pacifica clicked open the barrel and loaded two pellet shells. After snaping it shut, she secured her bag and said, "We can't run from this. Bill's coming back this time, and he's angry."

"It's the Pines family's problem! Not ours! We're Northwesterns for goodness sake!" Her mother exclaimed.

"Exactly! I'm going to prove that we're capable of more than just lies!" Pacifica shouted back. She sighed and walked off the front porch. "Run if you want, but I'm staying here. Gravity Falls is my home, and I'm going to fight for it!"

Without another word, Pacifica took off towards the Mystery Shack. On her way, she saw that most of the town was boarded up and that people were readying whatever weapons and firearms they had. The wind was picking up, and the sky was roaring with thunder and lightning.

Then two giant cartoon-like hands pried open the sky, revealing what every Gravity Falls resident feared- Bill was back and he was stronger than ever!

/

At this point in time, Morty was pretty used to his grandfather's actions- whether it was breaking up his family or breaking a universe apart. These things came easily to Rick, and all Morty could do was watch and get better. In saying that, everything about this situation bothered him. Rick was his usual asshole self to his the multidimensional group that was just in here, but normally his grandpa would take them along as sacrifices or something.

And while Rick going to this 'Homeworld' to destroy a significant portion of the Galactic Federation wasn't usual either, especially considering Bird Person and all, Morty could tell his grandpa was feeling off about something.

"Grandpa Rick... you okay? You seemed harsher than usual." Morty observed.

"That's cause they're stupid shits that have no idea what they're involved in, Morty! Someone's coming after your grandpa, and he's about to make that fucker his bitch!" Rick swore. This confirmed Morty's theory- Rick was furious about something that wasn't the Galactic Federation for once.

"You talking about the Galactic Federation harvesting their universe, or-"

"God damn it Morty! Why would I be made about something as stupid as that?! The Galactic Federation can jack off to that universe for all I care! We're going to this motherfucking Homeworld to avenge Bird Person, and deny those little shits those sentient gemstone soldiers they want so badly!" Rick exclaimed.

"Okay. What about the Bill situation? You can't tell me you're okay with that." Morty frowned.

"Do I look like I give a shit about Bill, Morty?!" Rick typed in the coordinates to his portal gun.

"No, but you give a shit about something involving that situation! What is it, Rick? Was it something that Dipper kid said?" Morty asked.

"Nothing Morty! Now shut your trap, and let's go!" Shooting the portal gun, Rick shot open the pathway and led the two forward.

Rick would never admit this, but something was troubling him big time and it didn't make any sense.

There was only one way for Bill to come back to life, and that was the back-up copy of him Rick had made in case he needed it for something. Of course he forgot about it since it was a failure anyways, but apparently someone else hadn't. Even though Ford and that little group knew he made Bill, no one else did. Even if they did, none of them would activate the backup Bill.

Rick walked forward in confidence, pushing several buttons and arming himself with sufficient weapons. Handing a backpack to Morty, his grandson wordlessly pressed the button to arm himself. As they arrived in this 'Homeworld', it was pretty much what they were both expecting. The Galactic Federation's diplomatic ships were the only present, which meant that the negotiation stages were still going on.

Without caring or reacting to the alien world they were in, Rick and Morty simply walked through the street and simply shot at random gems that came at them. Walking into the giant building he knew where the Galactic Federation members were in.

"Shouldn't we go to the Galactic Federation ship to kick some ass?" Morty asked.

"No. According to my reader, this is where the Diamonds or something." Rick suddenly grabbed his stomach, and started farting. Morty grubbed his head in dismay- oh no. His late on-set hangover symptoms were kicking in. "Damn it, I should've brought booze... and a toilet. There's no place to shit on this fucking planet!"

Morty rolled his eyes, this was going to be one long annihilation.

/

Mabel had never felt as much relief in her life when she and the others landed safely in Gravity Falls, and nearly cried at the familiar laboratory they were in.

"By golly! It's Mabel Pines!" Fiddleford's voice broke the dam, Mabel cried as she ran to hug the old man. "It's great to see you Old Man McGucket."

"You too! But who are these strange ladies with you lot?" The former researcher looked at the colorful group of women, each beautiful and unie in their own way, looking around the laboratory anxiously.

Turning to the Pines family, Fiddleford smiled down at Dipper. "You did good son. You all right though?"

"Yeah, why?" Dipper sniffled.

"Cause you're cryin' too." McGucket pet his head gently. "She's home safe now, Dipper. Y'all can rest easy.

Dipper chuckled, wiping his tears away. He had been so relieved to get Mabel back and return home, that he forget about the immediate danger probably waiting to greet them at the front door.

"Sorry Fiddleford. We're not." Ford spoke up. "We found Mabel and regained our memories, but Bill's back and he's coming!"

"What?! What in tarnation are you talkin' about Ford?!" Fiddledord exclaimed. "And who are these ladies?"

"Oh yes, they're-"

"They're sentient crystal gem stone aliens from a different universe." Stan cut in bluntly. "And we don't have time to stand around asking questions, we gotta make preparations!"

"What?" Before Fiddleford could speak, the door to the lab opened. And a pink blur run past everyone and tackled Mabel.

"WADDLES!" Mabel exclaimed with joy as her pet pig licked her. She hugged it close, and smiled. "I missed you too boy!"

"Hey dudes! You gotta come see this!" Soos ran up to the group, but stopped short when he saw that the Pines men weren't alone. "Mr. Pines! Dudes! You're back! I-I mean I figured since Waddles was goin' crazy and all!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Is the sky darkening or what?" Stan asked.

"Yeah but... uh... who are these pretty ladies?" Soos took off hat bashfully, blushing.

Finally being introduced into the conversation, Rose Quartz cleared her throat. "I am Rose Quartz... at this moment, I am the leader of the Crystal Gems."

"Only cause we need to save Steven." Lapis snorted.

"It's a cooperative effort that needs to be done." Pearl put on a brave face.

"Seriously, let's just get this over with." Bismuth agreed.

"Uh... Crystal what?" McGucket asked confused.

"Okay! Can we save the introductions for later?! Bill's probably here by now!" Dipper exclaimed.

As the group rushed out of the lab, they were met with Wendy, Gideon, as well as Robbie and Tambry.

"Dudes! You're back!" Wendy smiled. "With friends... I guess?"

"Oh my stars! It's Mabel Pines!" Gideon ran over and grabbed both of her hands. "I cannot tell you how happy and relieved I am to see you, my sweet peach!"

"Gideon?! I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!" Mabel smiled.

"I was one of the only people who remembered you, by the way!" Gideon smiled. "Did Dipper tell you that?"

"Get real kid!" Stan snapped. "Between going through different universes and nearly escaping death, do you recall think we'd have time to mention you?!"

"So you weren't kidding before... everyone did for get me." Mabel sighed and looked at Wendy. "Do you remember me?"

"Honestly... you look familiar, but sorry- I don't still. But Robbie and Tambry do! And McGucket there!" Wendy pointed out the people in question.

"Wait you guys do?" Mabel asked, looking at the couple. "I can understand McGucket remembering me, but you guys?"

"I know, right?" Tambry shrugged.

"These guys think it's cause you helped me and Tambry get together or something." Robbie subbed the back of his head. "Thanks for that by the way, I never said that to you. And glad you're okay... I guess."

"Wait, if people forgot me- was it the same for Steven?" Mabel asked the Crystal Gems.

"Yeah. It was." Amethyst nodded. "But Greg remembered him, once he saw that VHS tape!"

"So Greg still had them..." Rose Quartz smiled.

"Of course he did." Garnet put a hand on her shoulder.

"Glad you guys are making up and everything, but we need to prepare for Bill now!" Ford interrupted.

"Wait! Bill's back?!" Wendy exclaimed and ran for the door. "I need to get back to my family!"

"Forget it! You're not safe out there!" Stan ordered. "Whoever here is staying, and whoever's not- stay's out!"

Ford's eyes widened. "That's it! Mabel! Dipper! Come with me! Fiddleford! Stan! You guys help Wendy, Soos, Tambry, and Robbie prepare some weapons. Crystal Gems! Do whatever you have to, to prepare for war! I just remembered something that'll buy us some time!" With this, he led the Pines twins down the hall, leaving the others to their own devices.

After an awkward silence, Peridot spoke. "So... this is Gravity Falls? Seems smaller than I predicted."

"Uh... it's just the Mystery Shack." Robbie replied. "Who are you guys again?"

"For the hundredth time, we're the Crystal Gems and we're here to help defeat Bill." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "What's the plan for that anyways? You guys beat him last time?"

"Not really. It's more like the Pines family beat him last time." Tambry shrugged. "But I'm guessing Bill's gunning for revenge, so were all on the chopping block."

"But that doesn't mean they're the only ones that can fight Bill!" Gideon pointed out.

Bismuth turned to Garnet. "What do you see?"

"Nothing good." Garnet clenched her fists. "Sapphire can't even see an outcome for the battle with Bill!"

"What does that mean?" Wendy frowned.

"It means we'll have to pull a miracle to defeat Bill." Pearl sniffled. "Something Steven would have been able to do."

Before anyone could reply, The Pines family came back with an old treasure chest. Hastily opening it, Ford pulled out the vital item that would buy them the time they needed to prepare against Bill.

Wendy and Soos looked at the item, and felt a surge of memories take a hold of them. "Mabel...?" Wendy looked down at the girl, who now had the biggest smile on her face. "I remember!"

"Dude... I'm so sorry I for got you." Soos said.

"It's fine! Now everyone put in your pinkies! We've got unicorn hair to tie!"

/

The residents of Gravity Falls could only watch helplessly as the sky darkened into the familiar shade of black, with the odd lightning bolts to boot. People wither went underground or were preparing their weapons- they knew it was gonna be different from last time, but they weren't going down without a fight.

As if the Titans from Olympus were splitting the sky open, a giant triangle appeared in the sky and slowly descended down to ground. "GRAVITY FALLS! IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!" Bill twiddled his fingers, making the sky strike down massive lightning bolts! Loud thunder accompanied the impact, as the houses were broken apart and parts of the fires were set ablaze. Swirling his hand around, a black cloud formed and slowly broke into at least a thousand one-eye bats. They started shooting lasers randomly from their pupils at random stuff, just causing general mayhem to the town.

"Ah... nothing like the smell of sweet revenge in the countryside." Bill shaped his eye to reflect his satisfaction. "Now... to test that new ability." After concentrating a moment, Bill felt himself shift to the left and then a significant burning sensation. Opening his eye, he found himself just outside the Gravity Falls barrier facing the bridge. "A little painful, but DEFINTILY worth it!" After concentrating again and feeling the pain of a cheese grater, Bill went back inside the town's barrier.

"But let's start with the appetizer before going onto the main course!" Bill reminded himself cheerfully. "Now, to the Mystery Shack!"

Bill quickly stomped his way over through the forest area, ignoring all the supernatural entities as he did. He always found Dipper Pines' obsession with the supernatural amusing, as it ultimately contributed to his initial release. And for that generous effort, Bill decided he would kill the boy after slowly melting his sister in front of him! Bill loved it! All the suffering and anguish on the Pines' family faces!

And the shown would soon start! Bill arrived at the Mystery Shack, to see it was same rustic piece of junk it always had been. You'd think with a scam artist like Stand Pines, he'd at least put some money into repairs. Guess it really didn't matter now, since it was soon going to get destroyed.

"Come out! Come out! Wherever you are! Dipper Pines! Mabel Pines! Stan Pines! FORD PINES!" Bill turned red in rage and impatience. He reached down to the shack, and was surprised to see he could touch it without an issue. The Pines family most likely didn't arrive until recently, or they weren't here yet. That would be disappointing if he had to wait-

"HEY BILL!" Bill whipped around at the familiar voice, and saw the infamous Pines Twins.

"LOOKING FOR US?!" Mabel followed.

"Long time no see, Dipper Pines. Wasn't too long with you though." He indicated to Mabel. "Where's the rest of the loser clan?"

"You'll see!" Mabel shouted.

Dipper took a deep breath and spoke. "We're only giving you one chance Bill! Return Steven and Lion! And go back to whatever dimension you came from! Better yet- become Rick Sanchez's problem again!"

"Oh! You met Rick?! Can't believe you're still alive! Useless drunk must've been passed out or something!" Bill laughed. "No matter! Cause after I'm done here! I'm going for him!" Fire was surrounding the twins as Bill's anger increased. The twins held fast and locked hands, bracing themselves for the next phase of the plan. They forced themselves to stay calm as Bill reached down for them, just a few more seconds-

CLICK!

Mabel quickly dragged herself and Dipper away from the giant hand, glad that she hadn't lost her touch with her grappling hook. She couldn't believe her parents made her send it back to her Grunkle Stan! It's an amazing tool!

"NOW UNCLE FORD!" Dipper shouted.

The old man suddenly jumped out from under a pile of leaves, and shot an energy blast at Bill's hand- causing the triangle demon to jump back.

After the twins landed on a tree branch, Mabel shouted: "GRUNKLE STAN! GO!"

From the chimney of the Mystery Shack, Stan shout out and quickly punched Bill straight in the eye. He landed beside Ford, cradling the hand with his brass knuckle.

"THAT HURT!" Bill turned a shade of purple and shot more lightning from his fingers, taking aim at the old men and children.

However, the attacks were blocked by a force! Sending the lightning straight back at him! Bill growled, shaking off the pain and glaring at the continuing offenders. But then his eye shaped into that of a grin, indicating his amusement. "Oh... this is a surprise. Wouldn't have guessed you ladies would show up for the party!"

Rose Quartz and Garnet stood in front of Stan and Ford, with Rose holding a makeshift sword- a combination of rock and metal courtesy of Bismuth. Garnet had out her usual gauntlet hands, pounding them together to show she was ready for more. "Stan... Ford... is this Bill?" Rose Quartz asked.

"Yeah that's him." Ford nodded.

"Pleased to meet you! Leader and replacement leader of the Crystal Gems!" Bill gave a mock salutations and glanced at the tree- seeing his guess was correct. Pearl was standing on the tree at Mabel's side with her spear, while Amethyst stood on Dipper's side with her whip out. Bill internally frowned, there had to be more of them.

"Give us Steven back! Now!" Pearl shouted.

"What do you mean? He got exactly what he wanted! Now why would you want to ruin that?" Bill shrugged his arms.

"Steven most certainly did not want this!" Rose protested. "Return us to normal at once!"

"This is your new normal! GET USED TO IT!" Red flames appeared once again, which Bill directed towards the entirety of the group.

SPLASH!

A sudden giant wave of water came at the flames, creating a wall of steam. Once it dissipated, Bill glared at the next offender- to see Lapis Lazuli glaring daggers at him. "You will give Steven back!" She circled her hands and encased Bill in water.

"You really think you can drown me?!" Bill laughed and heated the water until it evaporated, and then converted the steam into smoke and sent it back towards Lapis. The blue gem quickly flew away, heading back towards the lake with the giant reptile.

Seeing as how it would pointless to go after the water based Crystal Gem, Bill turned his attention back to the other opposers. To his surprise, the Pines and Crystal Pines remained in their spots and seemed to be ready to rumble!

Bill inwardly frowned, he knew they distracting him from finding the others- but why? Oh well! That could wait until after he crushed them!


	19. Weathering the Storm

**Hey guys! I AM SO SORRY about the late update! I went back to school and have been bogged down with homework and work, so updates are going to be A LOT less frequent. But I HAVE NOT given up on the story, and it most certainly isn't over. Please enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Rick and Morty, or Gravity Falls**

If there was one thing Wendy hated, it was being pushed to the sidelines. She wanted to be out there, helping the Pines family and these Crystal Gems or whatever kick butt! Instead, she was guiding Robbie, Tambry and Bismuth through the forest and to the Gravity Falls dump. It wasn't difficult to find, and was thankfully deserted minus the creepy one-eyed bats.

Bismuth walked forward, morphing her arms into hammers- making quick work of the annoying creatures. Turning back to her accompanying humans, she asked: "Remind me why we're here again?"

"We're supposed to be making giant mechs out of old cars and construction equipment or something, and getting them ready to fight Bill." Wendy explained the crazy plan Ford and Dipper came up with. "Or flying saucers, or just anything big enough to go toe-to-toe with Bill!"

"I can make them bigger than a citadel, but that won't make them a match for that thing." Bismuth shrugged. "And why are those two here?"

"We're here to see if we can contact anyone in the town." Robbie explained.

"Seriously- this place is near the strongest cell tower." Tambry explained. "Btw, I LOVE your hair."

"Thanks, completely useless humans." Bismuth had no idea why she was stuck with arguably the most useless of the humans. She tried to argue that she should stay at the Mystery Shack with Peridot and old McGucket guy to prepare technological weapons, but they insisted that she and this Wendy-human go to the junkyard to see if anything more mechanical could be used. Ford had recommended anything with iron and silver, cause it was magic repellent or something.

"Hey!" Robbie protested. "We're here to setup communications for the cell towers, to see if Bill can be stopped at an electromagnetic level or something!"

"...Why couldn't Peridot come with us?" Bismuth groaned. But then again, it could be worse- she could be stuck with those Gideon and Soos humans.

/

Gideon was huffing and puffing in annoyance as he walked through the thick brush of the forest, muttering about how he had to get another perm before asking Mabel to marry him. Instead of getting his hair done or helping his beloved battle Bill, he was sent on an impossible errand with Soos of all people! He had no idea why he got stuck together with him, but he supposed if anyone was more qualified in gathering more unicorn hair than his beloved Mabel- it was him.

He knew the first two journals inside and out, but he never read the third one- the one that actually contained information about unicorns! Though in working with the Gravity Falls supernatural for years, he had a pretty good idea of where to find them.

"Keep up, will you!" Gideon snapped behind him, as Soos continued to stroll and look around. "We need to gather as much unicorn as we can, as fast as we can!"

"I know dude, but how? Didn't Mabel say they were real jerks?" Soos pointed out.

"Leave the negotiating to me! I got a whole prison full of criminals to follow me- convincing couple of four-legged simpletons to make a hair donation will be easy!" Gideon huffed.

As they continued, both stopped at the sudden sound of a loud BANG! "What in the nutmeg was that?!" Gideon shouted as he and Soos ran forward towards the sound.

They pushed aside a bush that was in their way, and were shocked to find a familiar face with a skeet gun. "Hey... aren't you one of the Northwesterns?"

The girl turned around, but lowered her gun when she saw who it was. "Gideon Gleeful? And... Gravity Falls work guy?"

"It's Soos, but that's cool." Soos smiled.

"What are you guys doing out here?! Shouldn't you guys be at the Mystery Shack?!" Pacifica asked.

"We happen to be on a very important mission to retrieve unicorn hair! You on the other hand, got no business being out here during this apocalypse little lady!" Gideon argued back.

"He's right dudette- what are you doing out here?" Soos asked.

"Trying to get to the Mystery Shack." Pacifica admitted. "I figured it'd be the safest place in town."

"You'd be right, but why are you out here? The Mystery Shack's about a mile or two from here." Gideon pointed out.

"I got lost in this stupid forest! Why are there so many trees around?!" Pacifica yelled in frustration.

"Dude... you're a local right?" Soos asked.

"Yes! But I never went outside unless it was for shopping or something else cool!" Pacifica complained.

"Yeah... you want to come collect unicorn hair or not?" Gideon asked, hoping she'd say no.

"Ugh! Fine! Someone has to take charge." As Pacifica flipped her hair, Gideon clenched his fists and remembered the patience exercises he learned in prison.

/

Peridot and McGucket worked as quickly as possible on the machines in Ford's lab, with Peridot making any kind of weapon that interfered with matter and McGucket trying to tweak the dimensional gate to somehow force Bill out and trap him somewhere. While both were accomplished engineers, Peridot and McGucket had very different ideas on who to tackle the Bill problem.

"Um... McGucket was it?" Peridot asked, as she started a soldering iron.

"Yeah?" The old man didn't look up from his coding.

"While I appreciate your idea of a resolution, wouldn't it be more prudent if you were to collaborate with me in creating a weapon to either destroy or at least disable Bill?" Peridot asked in annoyance.

"Considering we don't know what Bill is actually made of, you can make as many disruptors as you want, but they probably won't be any good." McGucket shrugged.

"Nonsense. Everything is composed of matter, even the 'supernatural' elements of your Gravity Falls. Though I must admit, I do prefer the more straightforward technology of Homeworld gem tech over this quandary of unknown factors." Peridot explained.

"Homeworld sounds like a scary place." McGucket commented.

"Scary would not be the right word." Peridot answered. "Orderly would most adequately describe it, but punishment by shattering was imminent if your occupational duties were not completed."

"...Sounds pretty crazy to me." The old human responded.

"No. That makes Homeworld adhere to patterns of behavior, making them predictable. The situation we're in... that's scary." Peridot argued. "The fact that no matter which of our efforts perseveres, none may make a difference against that Triangle deity creature. The fact that it may not even guarantee Steven's return is weighing heavily on everyone's mind, so no- Homeworld is not scary. Not compared to this."

"Yet we keep going." Fiddleford pointed out.

"We do." Peridot nodded and continued her work. "We can't stop until all options are exhausted, even if that means holding out long enough for all our parties to converge. We must continue our preparations... Steven's counting on all of us."

/

Rose Quartz gripped her shield tightly, as she had surrounded herself and her comrades. Bill may have been powerful, but most of his energy beams seemed ineffective against her shield. Pearl and Amethyst had followed suit, with Pearl testing whether or not her spear could do any damage and Amethyst seeing if her whip made an impact. While it seemed to bother Bill, both had to jump away after making impact to survey the damage.

Seeing as he sustained slight scratches and wasn't healing, it could be considered a good start but not nearly enough if they were going to distract him.

Rose clenched her fists and called to her Crystal Gems: "Garnet! Amethyst! Fuse into Sugilite now! Pearl! Fuse with me to make Rainbow Quartz!"

Pearl clenched her fists but jumped away from the Pines Twins. "What about Mabel and Dipper?"

"Don't worry about us!" Dipper shouted as he and Mabel locked hands, while she shot her weapon at a different tree. That was when Pearl and Amethyst noted Stan and Ford Pines were also running for deeper cover in the woods- where they were going, neither of them could guess.

Amethyst looked at her friend in worry. "Pearl come on... you know you have to... it's for Steven."

"I know." Pearl unclenched her fists and dropped down a fair distance away from Rose Quartz, and got upright on her toes. "I never thought I would do this again with you."

Raising her arms into the correct position, Rose sighed. "Neither did I. I know you're angry at me for the things I didn't tell you, but you'll understand once we fuse."

Pearl started tiptoeing to gain proper balance to do her twirls, "Does this mean you won't close me off anymore."

"After we get Steven back, I will be gone forever. And I want to leave you with no regrets Pearl." Rose Quartz shifted her position again, to better angle her body as Pearl got closer. "You were, and always will be my closest confidant... I loved you."

Pearl stepped to the side before Rose Quartz could twirl her, a scowl on her face. "You LOVED me. You stopped once you met Greg, and then you abandon us without warning and leave Steven in your wake. None of us were even there for his birth Rose! Only Greg... got to say goodbye. So yes, you did love me... but you clearly stopped caring about me."

"No Pearl!" Rose Quartz argued. "I didn't want any of you there because... I couldn't say goodbye. I've always been terrible at goodbyes, this time probably won't be any different. If Greg hadn't been there, then no one would've found Steven. I didn't want anyone there honestly, but I had to make a choice."

"We ALL had to make choices after you left!" Pearl snapped and stretched her leg tall and wide, keeping a gap between the other gem. "On the other hand, we had no choice in carrying the burdens you left behind with Steven."

Rose Quartz stilled herself, as did Pearl. "Do you hate me?"

Clutching her arm, Pearl shed some tears as she spoke. "I hate the fact that you did such things behind our backs, from Lion to Bismuth- it feels like there's no end to your secrets Rose. But no... I could never hate you. Because even after all this, I still love you. I don't think it's possible for me to stop."

Smiling, Rose Quartz walked up to her and placed a hand on the smaller gem's shoulder. "For the record, I never stopped loving you either but we couldn't be together... and you know very well that it has nothing to do with Greg."

Intertwining her fingers with her former leader's hand, Pearl sighed. "I couldn't watch you become shattered."

"And I you... which is what led us to end our relationship to begin with." Rose Quartz squeezed Pearl's hand, before leading Pearl's arm to form a circle.

"It was my fault Pink Diamond was shattered, it was my fault the Gem War had to happen... do you think Pink Diamond would be alive if we hadn't started our affair?" Pearl leaned into Rose.

"I can't say for sure but never take on the blame of those situations on your own- I wasn't there when she was shattered either." Rose twirled Pearl and leaned her down, then brought her up again. She smiled at her comrade. "Let's save Steven."

"Yes!" With one final twirl, Pearl felt the familiar love and warmth she had forced herself to forget. She slowly felt hers and Rose's conscious become one, and slowly felt the memories and experiences of former leader rush into her.

Meanwhile, Garnet and Amethyst and fused awhile ago and were busy keeping Bill at bay with Lapis. The feral gem fusion looked at the water gem. "Cover the Pines family!" Lapis didn't need to be told twice, and quickly left deeper into the forest.

"As amusing as this is! I'VE GOT A WORLD TO DESTROY!" Bill raged in red.

"Hey! Eyes on me, buddy!" Suglite quickly wound one of her arms up, and punched Bill straight in the eye. The one eyed demon gasped, but then started producing a giant laser eye beam!

"YOU IDIOT! YOU CAN'T DAMAGE MY EYE!" Bill screamed and started falling, with the veins showing and tears leaking out. The Crystal Gems weren't' sure how genuine this reaction, but he seemed to be in pain.

Sugilite quickly crossed her arms over her face, and growled when she felt the heat onto her skin concentrate.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT! NO ONE TOUCHES THE EYE!" Bill was hysterical at this point, just eager to destroy the giant purple gem. As he continued to fire his laser, he felt a sudden impact that took him off balance a little. Looking down, he was surprised to see a multicolored gem with big white hair and had rainbow pattern. "Oh! Another fusion, isn't that just GREAT?!" Bill raised his hand, and the sky around them darkened once again.

Rainbow Quartz quickly leaped onto Suglite's shoulder. "Let's show Bill what the Crystal Gems are truly capable of!"

/

As Mabel was swinging herself and Dipper through the jungle, their eyes widened at the upcoming eyeball bats. A strong stream of water shot out of them, with Lapis quickly appearing beside them. "Get on my back! We'll find your uncles!"

Nodding, Mabel dislodged her grappling hook when they got to the next branch, and fell on to the water gem's back with her brother. Mabel held onto her brother's middle, as the Lapis began to pick up speed- most likely to search as much of the forest as possible, before being forced into hiding.

"What now?!" Mabel shouted to Dipper.

"We find Grunkle Stan and Uncle Ford!" Dipper responded, and frowned when he saw they weren't anywhere on the forest ground. "I don't see them!"

"They're not here! You need to tell me where to go!" Lapis shouted, as she dodged through trees. She hated flying through the forest, but flying above the trees meant being spot by Bill.

Dipper was stuck, and honestly didn't know where to go. Half of him wanted to go back and help the Crystal Gems with Bill, while the other half of him wanted to find his uncles.

Suddenly, Mabel spoke up: "Find Soos and Gideon! They're in a deeper parts of the woods, where there's this waterfall and clearing!"

"What about Grunkle Stand and Uncle Ford?!" Dipper shouted. "What'll finding Soos and Gideon do?!"

"They may need help with those unicorns, and with Lapis- we can get them to Wendy and the others as soon as possible!" Mabel explained.

"But-"

"I'm worried too Dipper!" Mabel interrupted. "But Stan and Ford are twins and OUR uncles! They're unstoppable when they're together!"

Dipper smiled. "Right!"

"GREAT!" Lapis shouted in annoyance from constantly dodging trees. "Where am I going exactly?!"

Mabel thought for a second, and then Dipper spoke. "Head where you sense falling water! It's a big waterfall in the forest, you can't miss it!"

"Got it!" Lapis changed the course of her direction slightly, and veered towards the thicker area of the woods.

/

Stan grumbled under his breath as he was dragged through the dark tunnel by his brother. They were currently under the Gravity Falls forest, going who knows where. They had been running for the past five minutes, and were eventually forced to slow down to catch their breath. While both were in great shape for their age, they couldn't run as well as they could when they were outrunning bullies back East.

"I don't like this Ford!" Stan frowned. "I don't like not being Mabel and Dipper! Why are we going to this thing anyway?!"

"Because Lapis Lazuli will have an easier time protecting two children she can carry, rather than two old men who can make better uses of themselves!" Stan huffed. "The Crystal Gems are keeping Bill busy, so now's our chance to retrieve some of my old weapon stashes."

"My goody-two-shoes brother has weapon stashes?" Stan raised a brow.

"I had no choice! As Dipper experienced first-hand, most of the creatures in Gravity Falls weren't very receptive to strangers!" Ford hastily explained.

"Okay. So where we going?" Stan asked.

"We're almost... and here!" Ford stopped, and put his phone up to show where they were. Stan's eyes widened in recognition- it was the dinosaur cave! Where he had to risk his life for that stupid pig! Speaking of which, he hoped the little guy didn't mind being locked in the cellar during this whole thing. The swine had the tendency to eat precious heirlooms of people he didn't like.

"You had weapons down here?!" Stan exclaimed, as Ford crept quietly around the amber-preserved dinosaurs. "I almost got eaten by a giant scaly bird- and you had weapons down here this whole time?!"

"Why would anyone come into a plethora of live prehistoric reptiles, without some form of defense?!" For shot back. "Did you and the kids really come down here without any means of protection?!"

"We'll summarize that later! Just get the stinkin' plasma guns or whatever yah got!" Stan urged.

Rolling his eyes, Ford walked over to one of the wooden support-beams of the mine and began to feel around the base. He eventually found what he was looking for, pulling out a tool case from the ground.

"Seriously?! It was right there the whole time!" Stan shouted.

Ignoring his brother, Ford shifted through the box and eventually found what he was looking for. "Found them!"

"Found what?" Stan frowned.

"The quantum destabilizer gun and plasma gun!" Ford stated. "I kept these weapons in this area, in case I would need to make a hasty escape."

"Fine, but there's only two of them. How's that gonna help everyone else?" Stan pointed out.

Quickly taking out his phone, he dialed a number. "Fiddleford! It's Stan! I have a plan! I'm going to call the others in a moment, but it's vital you and Peridot concentrate your efforts on the two weapons specifically!" After a moment, Ford answered again. "Any weapon involving quantum destablization! We're going to erase Bill out of existence this time!"


	20. Eye of the Storm

**Hey guys! Sorry about the update taking so long, but this chapter is long so I hope that makes it better. The fight with Bill is finally starting, and I hope you guys didn't mind the wait. As I said before, the fight with Bill is NOT the climax of the story. So expect more after the battle's over! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, Rick and Morty, or Gravity Falls**

After Wendy received the call from Ford, she had her doubts but relayed the message to her companions- more specifically Bismuth. "Hey guys! Got a call from Ford, apparently the plan is to 'erase Bill out of existence' or something."

The gem snorted. "That means plasma guns and quantum destabilizers. That doesn't leave much for us."

"Yeah... they actually told us that they'll need to time to make all these weapons, so ALL of us are going to have to chip in to fight Bill this time." Wendy looked at Robbie and Tambry warily. "If you guys wanna bail, I get it- but... they need help, and I'm staying."

"For what?!" Robbie demanded. "We have female alien chicks from another universe fighting alongside the Pines family against Bill! How would we be any help?!"

"Thanks guys, no offense taken." Bismuth rolled her eyes. "But they do have a point Wendy. What would we do?"

"I've got a plan, but I need Robbie and Tambry's help to do it." Wendy explained. "We might not be on the scientific side of this fight, but we can still throw punches better than half their group!"

"So, what are you saying?" Tambry asked. "Why do you need me and Robbie?"

"Instead of mechs, I'm thinking monster trucks! Mad Max style!" Wendy smashed her fists together.

"I have no idea what that is." Bismuth said. "But I like the sound of it!"

"So you and Bismuth can build the trucks, where does that leave me and Robbie?" Tambry rose a brow.

"A communication system!" Wendy said. "Robbie! I need you and Tambry to combine your weird coding geniuses to make a communication system that can go between the trucks!"

Robbie and Tambry blinked at their friend in surprise- they were the best in their computer science classes in high school, but this was on a completely different level. "And how would we do that exactly?" Robbie asked.

"I don't know! You guys are computer geeks! That's your problem!" Wendy gave them a thumbs up.

"Okay... we'll get right on that." Tambry gave an uneasy thumbs up, knowing her friend's implied threat- there was no escaping for her and Robbie.

Turning back to Bismuth, Wendy picked up a wrench and a can of oil. "Let's get started!"

"How many?" Bismuth's arms turned into hammers. "I'm eager to start building."

"Let's see... how many of us are old enough to drive again. Oh- too old in McGucket's case! Hey Bismuth, does your planet believe in the unfair system of the DMV?"

/

Gideon and Pacficia had never liked each other- with their popularity rivalry stemming back before the Pines twins even came into town. Both were the most popular, well dressed, and were the envy of everyone's eyes. So it was only natural for there to be friction between them, but between Pacfica's money and Gideon's followers, they agreed to just ignore each other. But after the Pines twins came to town, their ceasefire nearly became a war with how Pacifica treated Mabel.

But now here they were, in the deepest parts of the Gravity Falls woods, and were certainly lost.

"Hey dudes, you know if there's a little boy's room out here? I gotta go." Soos asked, holding his knees together. Which reminded them- they were stuck with this idiot for whatever reason.

"You're kidding right?" Pacifica asked, tugging her llama sweater loose from some thorns.

"Why would there be a latrine, in the middle of the woods?!" Gideon snapped.

"I don't know dude! I drank a lot of soda before Bill showed up!" Soos whined.

"And you didn't think to go when those Crystal Gem ladies were making their introduction?!" Gideon demanded.

"Oh yeah... considering Bill's back, can we really trust gemstone aliens?" Pacifica pointed out.

"Mabel trusts them! That's good enough for me!" Gideon stated.

"Mabel trusts everyone." Pacifica rolled her eyes.

"One of the things I love about her." Gideon stared straight at the blonde. "She gives even the most _undeserving_ , a chance."

"What was that you fake mini preacher?!" Pacifica snapped.

"You heard me, daughter of hoodlums and harlots!" Gideon exclaimed.

Before they could start a slap fight, Soos spoke up: "Hey guys, there's something coming towards us!"

Before Gideon and Pacifica could even react, they found themselves in a bubble with Soos and were airborne.

"Pacifica?!" The blonde turned to the familiar voice, and was relieved to see that Mabel Pines was truly back- and was riding a tall model-like blue lady with water wings. "What are you doing out here?!"

"Yeah, why'd you show up?" Dipper added in annoyance

"I came to seek shelter at the Mystery Shack, and I ended up stuck with these two looking for unicorn hair!" Pacifica exclaimed. "Whose this lady?!"

"One of the Crystal Gems! Her name's Lapis Lazuli!" Mabel shouted. "She can do anything with water!"

"So cool! And so pretty!" Soos batted his eyelashes at Lapis, who chose to ignore this.

"Hang on, we're almost there!" Lapis stated and zoomed forward. She was eager to find these unicorns and get their hair! Humans other than Steven, Greg and Connie, were really annoying.

/

Fiddleford McGucket was a man of many things, primarily composed of regrets and desire. He regretted being too much of a coward to help Ford, and was so troubled by the events he opted to let government agents erase his memories for years. He also felt regret that his actions placed the weight of the world on two small children, not even teenagers when they first came into Gravity Falls. Had he not, then maybe Dipper and Mabel would have been better warned against the dangerous elements of Gravity Falls. Then again... they were Ford and Stan's niece and nephew- danger was bound to be attracted to them.

His regrets made Fiddleford's desire to live his life to the fullest that much more extreme- he wanted to take the lessons he learned from Dipper, and especially Mabel. Her zest for life and how unapologetically she was herself- that had made an impression on Fiddleford- enough to remember her despite Bill's interference.

After receiving a call from Ford to set up different plasma guns and quantum disruptors, Fiddleford and Peridot got to work right. Peridot worked on creating individual weapons, while Fiddleford worked on creating a ground weapon that could be combined with. Even with all this help from these Crystal Gems, Fiddleford wasn't sure if this would be enough to stop Bill.

From what he learned from Peridot, Bill was up to his old tricks again with an innocent boy named Steven and took advantage of his desperation. "So Peridot... would Steven normally do something like this?"

"I would like that to think not, but humans are different from gems." Peridot sighed and explained. "Organic beings with free will are able to make their own choices, down to their occupation to even what deity they worship. Gems are created with one occupation already programmed to us, and we conduct ourselves as such until we are shattered or replaced."

"What happens when you get replaced?" McGucket asked.

"Gems are normally recycled for further resources, as Homeworld has long since been running in short supply." Peridot answered.

"So why are humans more prone to these kinds of mistakes than gems?" Fiddleford asked.

"Because to humans- an occupation is a contradiction. They are assigned tasks or jobs by a higher power of some kind, oftentimes another human, and are then expected to complete their occupational duties regardless of their physical and mental capabilities. In other words, humans and other organic being are more likely to expire or eventually under the pressure of demand, because they are able to question their circumstances and have the inherent free will to resist it. Humans in particular, want more out of life than just the duties they are assigned, and therefore are much more likely to become depressed and unsatisfied with their current status, which ultimately leads to drastic action." Peridot sighed. "Why are you asking?"

"Because I'm just trying to understand why your Steven would do this. Especially dragging poor Mabel into it." Fiddleford explained.

"Steven's role as Rose Quartz's successor became too much, and we're all facing the consequences of that." Peridot stated. "But that is not the fault of Steven- that is the fault of Rose Quartz, who did not take this basic human characteristic into account when Steven was formed. That is why she is fighting with us to defeat Bill, and our love for Steven is what is uniting us despite our differences."

"Y'all say that gems and humans are pretty different, but y'all both feel love?" McGucket pointed out.

"Of course we do!" Peridot scoffed in offense. "Gems in Homeworld have to be much more reserved about their personal feelings, as generally partnership and courtship are arranged under strict circumstances, but that doesn't mean we're incapable of feeling. Gems feel pride, joy, love, loyalty, hate, despair... all the emotions associated with an intelligent being. Steven showed Lazuli and myself that we are free to express those emotions however we want on Earth, and we were able to make that planet our home because of that."

"That's beautiful..." Fiddleford sniffled.

"It's just natural. The Crystal Gems are also able to freely express how they feel about Steven, Greg, and one another- we are what you humans call a 'family'." Peridot shrugged. "And to make that family complete again- we're going to rescue Steven!"

"Do you hate Rose Quartz?" Fiddleford asked carefully.

"Lazuli certainly does." Peridot shrugged. "She has her reasons to hate the Crystal Gems, as for me- I considered Rose Quartz a terrifying enemy that somehow managed to shatter a Diamond- her Diamond! That kind of defiance was unheard of before, and is still relatively foreign to me, but in saying that no... I don't hate her. Why do you ask?"

"Cause it sounds to me like most of this is her fault." Fiddleford said. "No offense, er nothing..."

"No, it's true. Rose Quartz most definitely could have left more specific instructions for Steven- I believe that would have given the Crystal Gems more reassurance in general." Peridot confirmed. "Anyways... what is the state of your progress?"

"Oh!" Staring down at the lines of wires and chips, Ford noted a couple of bolts that needed to be connected and got out a pair of pliers. "About 80% of the way there! How 'bout you?"

"I've completed approximately a dozen short range quantum field disruptors and five plasma guns. I need to make 38 weapons total, yes?" Peridot confirmed.

"Yeah. Two for each person, and they all got to connect with this big one here." McGucket patted the machine. "But I wish Ford and Stan would get here already! Ford had some of the interface components needed for the connection."

As soon as Fiddleford said that, a rock behind the dimensional gate shifted, altering the two engineers. Peridot immediately got her mind ready to utilize anything in the lab to her disposal, but abruptly stopped when she saw who it was.

"No need to worry, the Pines brothers are here!" Stan smiled.

"Really Stan? Now is not the time for theatrics." Ford sighed and then turned his attention to McGucket and Peridot. He quickly brought out the toolkit he retrieved from that dinosaur mine, and walked over to his old colleague. "Let's get this set up! I don't know how long the others will be able to keep him busy!"

/

Lapis sighed and she finally arrived at the waterfall, Mabel described. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take with the three humans she was forced to pick up. Especially the one called Soos... she just wished he'd stop asking such inane questions.

"So there's like no guys at all where you're from...? Like any?" He asked.

"Ask me that again, and I drown you." Lapis said bluntly, and then turned her attention to Mabel. "Well we're here- where are these 'unicorns' you talked so much about?"

"Uh... well the white one with the rainbow mane came out from behind the waterfall last time." Mabel explained. "They're probably in hiding because Bill's back."

"Like really Mabel? Unicorns? I thought being erased from reality temporarily would mature you or something." Pacifica scoffed.

"You know, you really don't have to be here. Seriously." Dipper glared.

"He's right! You're useless! Go on now! Shoo!" Gideon made a shooing motion with his hands, which was ignored.

"Guys! Stop it, she's here and she can't go back to the Mystery Shack on her own." Mabel reasoned. "Pacifica- this isn't like last time. If you're not going to work with us, you can't be involved. It's too dangerous."

"I'm already involved." Pacifica scoffed. "Ask your brother."

"Dipper?" Mabel turned to him.

"Ugh... for whatever reason, Pacifica remembered you. Maybe you made her less evil and more human or something." Dipper explained. "She was the one who found the journal and that weird Nora tape I told you about."

"Wait- you guys all saw the Nora tape?" Lapis clarified.

"Yeah. Sorry if we invaded anyone's privacy dude, but we just had to know how it was connected to Mabel." Soos explained. "We didn't remember her at the time, and little dude here was desperate."

"I don't really care, it just makes me wonder how all this is connected." Lapis explained. "Dipper... do you think that human Rick Sanchez was lying about not being the mastermind? How else would everything add up like it's been?"

"I don't know... if he was, then Rick would have killed us all by now." Dipper frowned. "The connection between the journals and VHS tapes have been bothering me too, but we're gonna have to put that aside for now."

"Yeah. We need to find those unicorns!" Mabel exclaimed.

"Fine." Lapis raised her hand and summoned all the water from the falls and surrounding lake, which rose her up just high enough to look beyond the treeline without fully exposing herself to Bill. After focusing her eyes, she saw sparkling four legged creatures running through the dark. Without hesitance, Lapis shot water through the trees and successfully watered down her targets. Lowering herself down to the humans, she pointed, "Found them."

"Oh! I just remembered that we don't have any scissors." Dipper realized.

"No problem." Mabel's face was eerily calm. "We'll just rip the hair out from the roots."

"That's brutal Pines." Pacifica was surprised, considering the girl's previous obsession with them.

"Yes my sweet, wouldn't you want to preserve them?" Gideon asked.

"Oh no. Not after last time. This time... I take no prisoners." Mabel's normal smile was present, but the way she was clutching her grappling hook made the others worried.

Lapis on the other hand, was happy to finally see some competence.

/

Bill was getting extremely frustrated at this point- these Crystal Gem fusions were making this process much longer than it needed to be! At this point, he should've destroyed the world by now, but no! He was still stuck in the revenge phase, and hasn't even got to kill the Pines family yet! He was doubly annoyed by the giant gem fusion called 'Sugilite' in front of him. The behemoth was so strong that magic was ineffective against her! Every time he tried to surround them in a space to distract them, or at the very least unfuse them, Sugilite just punched it and collapsed the space.

As for that 'Rainbow Quartz' opponent, she was much vulnerable more than her combat buddy, but too agile to actually hit with any of his magic attacks. It was time to change strategies...

"You Crystal Gems are sure putting up a fight for a bunch of strangers!" Bill laughed.

"We are united front in rescuing Steven." Rainbow Quartz stated.

"SO COUGH HIM UP!" Sugilite screamed and readied another punch.

"You sure about that?" Bill curved his eye, and put some distance between himself and the larger fusion. "Are you sure that ALL of you want to rescue Steven?"

"What are you implying?" Rainbow Quartz glared.

"Oh you know!" Bill waved his hand in a mock-bashful manner. "The Pines interest may NOT exactly align with yours..."

"SHUT IT! WE DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY!" Sugilite snapped.

"Of course their interests would align with ours... we aren't exactly privy to your survival." Rainbow Quartz pointed out.

"Even if it meant permanently sacrificing Steven?" Bill's question clearly made the Crystal Gems pause. "I know you spoke with Rick. Quite the potty mouth he has, doesn't he! But he also doesn't lie unless he has to! I would know, I represent his potential!"

"What does this have to do with Steven?!" Rainbow Quartz snapped.

"I know Rick told you it's possible to save Steven. But you can't do that if I'm destroyed. Not that you could- but this fight is getting rather tiresome!" Bill continued. "But what the Pines want, is for me to be permanently destroyed. Which by proxy, completely eliminates any possibility of bringing Steven back. So... I propose we make a deal."

"YEAH? WE WERE ALSO TOLD YOU'D PULL SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON US!" Sugilite scoffed. "WE'RE NOT FALLING FOR ANY OF YOUR TRICKS!"

"Wait!" Rainbow Quartz snapped. "What kind of deal?"

"Simple. I'll switch Rose and Steven back to their proper alignment, with total gem repair and all! No cracks, and totally ready for gem action!" Bill assured. "However... in exchange- you go back to your own world, to deal with your own problems."

"In other words, you want us to forfeit this fight." Rainbow Quartz summarized.

"LIKE WE'RE GONNA DO-"

"Wait Sugilite!" Rainbow Quartz seemed surprised by her own outburst. "Would you really return Steven to us? Would his gem be back to normal?"

"Yep! As normal as it can be for his gem anyways!" Bill shrugged. "And returning Steven to you, is a small price to pay when it comes to getting what I want. And you know what that is? REVENGE! I'll tear this world to pieces and make the Pines family watch as I do it! Then I'm moving onto Rick and showing him just how powerful a 'failure' can really be!" Bill's eye was red and fire was around him as he spoke.

"Why would we leave this planet to you then?!" Rainbow Quartz demanded.

"Because you get what you want- Steven Universe." Bill stated. "The fact of the matter is, this isn't your Earth, this isn't even your universe. Your universe is currently under attack by the Galactic Federation, and will probably move to your Earth too. Assuming Rick hasn't destroyed it by then. Really, if it wasn't for Steven- then you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with."

At the moment, Rainbow Quartz clutched her staff and stood up straighter. "I'm sorry Sugilite..." Bill curved his eye in glee, while Sugilite just stood there with an unreadable expression. "For our indecision... we must do our part to defeat Bill!"

"WHAT?!" Bill couldn't believe it. "You'd sacrifice your son, for a stupid battle that has nothing to do with you?!"

"SHUT IT! ONE EYED TRIANGLE!" Suglite sent a corkscrew punch at Bill, which sent the triangle flying a few feet. "RUNNING AWAY IS NEVER AN OPTION FOR THE CRYSTAL GEMS!"

"She's right... and so are you Bill." Rainbow Quartz glared. "Steven is one of the primary parties at fault for this current situation, which is precisely why we can't abandon Gravity Falls. When Steven reemerges, he will be scolded and disciplined properly- but we can't do that if we don't show him proper examples."

Bill was angry... so angry, with his eye contorting into an evil smile. "Admirable... BUT FOOLISH!" Bill then started whirling his arms around, and instead of the typical sky darkening and lighting shooting, the environment remained the same. Warily, the fusions readied themselves for whatever attack Bill was sending... but nothing could've prepared them for what they saw. Bill laughed at their shock. "I really didn't want to do this trick... it expends SO MUCH energy... but combining illusions with reality is one of my best trump cards. You see, instead of trapping you in a space- I'll just create shapes and images out of spaces... which happen to be out of all of your worst fears!"

Sugilite suddenly surged forward and started punching the images as rapidly as they appeared- not giving the chance to form. Amethyst and Garnet had totally different fears and demons- they would come apart instantly if confronted.

Rose Quartz and Pearl had a completely different problem- they had different fears but the same demon, which was now standing right in front of them... Pink Diamond!


End file.
